FCS Picks
The FCS spring schedule rolls along this weekend with the big matchup taking place on Saturday in the Fargodome as the North Dakota Fighting Hawks face the North Dakota State Bison. The two teams have played just twice as Division I foes with the Bison winning both games handily by a combined score of 72-16.
But the Fighting Hawks are looking for a different outcome this year after starting the season 4-0, including a 44-21 win over Southern Illinois in the season-opener. It was that same Salukis team that handed North Dakota State its only loss of the season, 38-17, in February. But the Bison have rebounded since then with a pair of victories over Missouri State (25-0) and Illinois State (21-13).
The latter kept North Dakota State’s streak of home wins alive at 31 straight. Coach Matt Entz’ team hasn’t lost on its home field since falling to James Madison in the 2016 FCS semifinals.
While this game will certainly be closer than recent contests in the rivalry, the Dunkel Index does have the Bison prevailing and covering the current line of -3 ½ with the final score under the game total of 36 ½. Dunkel’s Pick: North Dakota State (-3 ½; Under).
Below are all of Dunkel’s picks for this weekend’s FCS contests:
MARCH 20
Delaware at New Hampshire
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Delaware 78.103; New Hampshire 60.986
Dunkel Line & Total: Delaware by 17; 32
Vegas Line & Total: Delaware by 10 ½; 35
Dunkel Pick: Delaware (-10 ½); Under
Maine at Stony Brook
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Maine 56.657; Stony Brook 58.787
Dunkel Line & Total: Stony Brook by 2; 49
Vegas Line & Total: Maine by 2 ½; 44 ½
Dunkel Pick: Stony Brook (+2 ½); Over
South Dakota at Youngstown State
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: South Dakota 68.771; Youngstown State 61.179
Dunkel Line & Total: South Dakota by 7 ½; 44
Vegas Line & Total: South Dakota by 1 ½; 42
Dunkel Pick: South Dakota (-1 ½); Over
Western Illinois at Illinois State
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Western Illinois 51.664; Illinois State 65.384
Dunkel Line & Total: Illinois State by 13 ½; 45
Vegas Line & Total: Illinois State by 17 ½; 47
Dunkel Pick: Western Illinois (+17 ½); Under
Chattanooga at Furman
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Chattanooga 56.788; Furman 68.177
Dunkel Line & Total: Furman by 11 ½; 33
Vegas Line & Total: Furman by 5 ½; 36 ½
Dunkel Pick: Furman (-5 ½); Under
Stetson at Morehead State
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Stetson 32.488; Morehead State 28.938
Dunkel Line & Total: Stetson by 3 ½; 52
Vegas Line & Total: Stetson by 7; 46 ½
Dunkel Pick: Morehead State (+7); Over
Presbyterian at Davidson
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Presbyterian 39.897; Davidson 40.195
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 53
Vegas Line & Total: Davidson by 5; 48
Dunkel Pick: Presbyterian (+5); Over
Rhode Island at Albany
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Rhode Island 60.939; Albany 63.256
Dunkel Line & Total: Albany by 2 ½; 67
Vegas Line & Total: Rhode Island by 2 ½; 62 ½
Dunkel Pick: Albany (+2 ½); Over
AR-Pine Bluff at Grambling
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: AR-Pine Bluff 41.499; Grambling 48.970
Dunkel Line & Total: Grambling by 7 ½; 49
Vegas Line & Total: Grambling by 6; 53
Dunkel Pick: Grambling (-6); Under
South Dakota State at Southern Illinois
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: South Dakota State 77.682; Southern Illinois 71.376
Dunkel Line & Total: South Dakota State by 6 ½; 34
Vegas Line & Total: South Dakota State by 2 ½; 43 ½
Dunkel Pick: South Dakota State (-2 ½); Under
VMI at Samford
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: VMI 65.04; Samford 61.956
Dunkel Line & Total: VMI by 3 1/2; 56
Vegas Line & Total: Samford by 3 1/2; 63
Dunkel Pick: VMI (+3 1/2); Under
East Tennessee State at The Citadel
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: East Tennessee State 53.192; The Citadel 49.125
Dunkel Line & Total: East Tennessee State by 4; 42
Vegas Line & Total: East Tennessee State by 7 ½; 38
Dunkel Pick: The Citadel (+7 ½); Over
Dixie State at Kennesaw State
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Dixie State 50.661; Kennesaw State 63.176
Dunkel Line & Total: Kennesaw State by 12 ½; 49
Vegas Line & Total: Kennesaw State by 18 ½; 44 ½
Dunkel Pick: Dixie State (+18 ½); Over
Drake at Valparaiso
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Drake 46.648; Valparaiso 28.971
Dunkel Line & Total: Drake by 17 ½; 34
Vegas Line & Total: Drake by 14; 36 ½
Dunkel Pick: Drake (-14); Under
SE Louisiana at Incarnate Word
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: SE Louisiana 59.382; Incarnate Word 61.183
Dunkel Line & Total: Incarnate Word by 2; 62
Vegas Line & Total: SE Louisiana by 2 ½; 65 ½
Dunkel Pick: Incarnate Word (+2 ½); Under
North Dakota at North Dakota State
Time: 3:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: North Dakota 73.121; North Dakota State 79.718
Dunkel Line & Total: North Dakota State by 6 ½; 33
Vegas Line & Total: North Dakota State by 3 ½; 36 ½
Dunkel Pick: North Dakota State (-3 ½); Under
Jackson State at Alabama State
Time: 4:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Jackson State 48.629; Alabama State 45.433
Dunkel Line & Total: Jackson State by 3; 51
Vegas Line & Total: Jackson State by 6 ½; 45 ½
Dunkel Pick: Alabama State (+6 ½); Over
Butler at San Diego
Time: 4:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Butler 33.254; San Diego 49.004
Dunkel Line & Total: San Diego by 16; 58
Vegas Line & Total: San Diego by 21 ½; 49
Dunkel Pick: Butler (+21 ½); Over
Western Carolina at Mercer
Time: 4:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Western Carolina 45.113; Mercer 46.922
Dunkel Line & Total: Mercer by 2; 55
Vegas Line & Total: Mercer by 8; 51 ½
Dunkel Pick: Western Carolina (+8); Over
Cal Poly at UC-Davis
Time: 4:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Cal Poly 52.628; UC-Davis 71.171
Dunkel Line & Total: UC-Davis by 18 ½; 49
Vegas Line & Total: UC-Davis by 15; 55 ½
Dunkel Pick: UC-Davis (-15); Under
Elon at William & Mary
Time: 4:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Elon 53.260; William & Mary 62.077
Dunkel Line & Total: William & Mary by 9; 37
Vegas Line & Total: William & Mary by 2 ½; 39 ½
Dunkel Pick: William & Mary (-2 ½); Under
McNeese State at Northwestern State
Time: 5:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: McNeese State 50.324; Northwestern State 49.540
Dunkel Line & Total: McNeese State by 1; 54
Vegas Line & Total: Northwestern State by 2 ½; 48 ½
Dunkel Pick: McNeese State (+2 ½); Over
Missouri State at Northern Iowa
Time: 5:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri State 59.818; Northern Iowa 78.447
Dunkel Line & Total: Northern Iowa by 18 ½; 38
Vegas Line & Total: Northern Iowa by 15; 34
Dunkel Pick: Northern Iowa (-15); Over
Sam Houston State at Lamar
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Sam Houston State 72.394; Lamar 47.626
Dunkel Line & Total: Sam Houston State by 24 ½; 57
Vegas Line & Total: Sam Houston State by 28 ½; 61
Dunkel Pick: Lamar (+28 ½); Under
Southern at Texas Southern
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Southern 42.128; Texas Southern 33.828
Dunkel Line & Total: Southern by 8 ½; 52
Vegas Line & Total: Southern by 11 ½; 56
Dunkel Pick: Texas Southern (+11 ½); Under
MARCH 21
LIU at Duquesne
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: LIU 28.975; Duquesne 51.578
Dunkel Line & Total: Duquesne by 22 ½; 42
Vegas Line & Total: Duquesne by 17; 38 ½
Dunkel Pick: Duquesne (-17); Over
Wagner at Bryant
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Wagner 40.369; Bryant 32.666
Dunkel Line & Total: Wagner by 7 ½; 30
Vegas Line & Total: Wagner by 1 ½; 35
Dunkel Pick: Wagner (-1 ½); Under
Merrimack at Sacred Heart
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Merrimack 36.019; Sacred Heart 45.818
Dunkel Line & Total: Sacred Heart by 9; 39
Vegas Line & Total: Sacred Heart by 18 ½; 45
Dunkel Pick: Merrimack (+18 ½); Under
Tennessee Tech at Eastern Illinois
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee Tech 53.192; Eastern Illinois 44.277
Dunkel Line & Total: Tennessee Tech by 9; 39
Vegas Line & Total: Tennessee Tech by 6 ½; 45
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee Tech (-6 ½); Under
Tennessee State at Murray State
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee State 50.260; Murray State by 57.200
Dunkel Line & Total: Murray State by 7; 52
Vegas Line & Total: Murray State by 10 ½; 48 ½
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee State (+10 ½); Over
UT-Martin at Austin Peay
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: UT-Martin 59.156; Austin Peay 56.868
Dunkel Line & Total: UT-Martin by 2 ½; 43
Vegas Line & Total: Austin Peay by 5 ½; 46
Dunkel Pick: UT-Martin (+5 ½); Under
SE Missouri State at Jacksonville State
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: SE Missouri State 57.160; Jacksonville State 68.356
Dunkel Line & Total: Jacksonville State by 11; 54
Vegas Line & Total: Jacksonville State by 7 ½; 50 ½
Dunkel Pick: Jacksonville State (-7 ½); Over
