There is not too much FCS on FCS action this week as most teams in the lower subdivision of college football are playing against FBS foes. That’s not going to be good news for a number of FBS teams who will pay for an FCS team and suffer a loss to start the season.
This week, I’ll look to identify which FCS teams might pull off upsets and give you some winners to start off the college football betting season the right way.
FCS Week 1 Betting Odds (Courtesy of BetDSI)
Austin Peay +43 vs Georgia
I am not calling for the Governors to pull off what would be the upset of the century here, but this line is too high. Austin Peay is one of the better FCS teams in the country, and head coach Will Healy has proven he is an up and comer. Georgia is not going to flex its muscle or show too much in terms of scheme in this one with South Carolina on deck next week. The Bulldogs will be content with running the ball 50 or 60 times and grinding out a victory.
Delaware vs. Rhode Island Under 47.5
Danny Rocco’s teams are going to run the ball and play great defense, and that makes the under a great play here. The Blue Hens allowed just 16.8 points per game last season, and the defense should be even better in 2018 than they were in 2017. Delaware is not going to do anything fancy on offense, instead being content to just run the ball and play the field position game.
As for Rhode Island, their talent makes the under a strong play too. The Rams have a very good defensive line, but the offense is not very good and will have a hard time moving the ball against a great Delaware defense.
Villanova +14 at Temple
This will be my FCS over FBS upset special in Week 1 of the college football season. You can get a great price on the moneyline, and the Wildcats are going to be a very live dog in this one. Villanova is one of the more underrated teams coming into the season. The Wildcats went just 5-6 last year, but injuries completely derailed their year.
Starting quarterback Zach Bednarczyk is back in action after suffering a season-ending injury in 2017, and he will bring stability to a position that could not get anything going without him last year. The offensive line is set to be great, and the defense will be great with Rob Rolle back in the lineup too.
The Citadel +10 at Wofford
These two teams have a lot of familiarity with one another, and their games have been generally close over the last few years. Wofford and The Citadel each run the option, so much like Army-Navy, they know how to hold down the opposing offense very well. The key to running the option is having a great offensive line, and The Citadel might have the best offensive line in the conference. Ten points is a gift here.
