Playoffs Rd 1

[Prodigal Cat]

I'll be honest betting some of these games would make you a real degenerate. There are a handful of teams that I have literally never watched 2 minutes of them play (yeah I'm not playing for FLOTV). Most of the opinions here are based on confidence in certain conferences and maybe some prejudices held. This isn't like betting Big Sky where I have watched multiple games of both participants.

CCSU @ URI(-18) This round has been a blood bath as of late for the once proud CAA. They keep getting several teams in despite having more in common with 1 bid leagues. Thus, the non AQ teams weren't deserving and got there just deserts handed to them. Tidbit, the Cats host CCSU next season in the non-conference. Still, this is a NEC team and Rhody has really put up some points the last 6 games. Here's your participation trophy Blue Devils. URI wins and covers.

Drake @ USD(-13.5) Another participation trophy and also a rematch. Yotes won by 21 at the beginning of the season when they were struggling mightily so this feels like a very, very bad number? USD wins and covers, heck they will cover that in the first half.

Harvard @ 'Nova(+5) Home dog you say? Harvard came out of the gate looking like the for sure Ivy winner but has looked pretty shaky the last few. Nova has last to Penn St and Monmouth when Robertson was really slinging it. Nova always seems to be frisky in the playoffs Harvard wins but give me the points and i'll pick Nova to cover.

Ill St @ SeLA(-5) Southland gets 3 in and are the real beneficiaries of the Big Sky being pretty down this season. In my opinion the Lions are probably one of the worst at large teams so it would be easy to pencil in ILL St here but last week gives me pause. The Redbirds got turned upside down and given a swirly by SIU 7 to 37. Woof, not exactly the way you want to look going into the playoffs. SeLa has ex Sac QB Carson Camp so he has seen top level FCS play before. This is a shot in the dark but Ill St gets the win on the road.

Lamar @ ACU(-13.5) ACU has played really good against good teams and lost against some really bad ones. Last year I picked NAU to beat ACU and that was a bad, bad pick. Lamar wants to put the game in a phone booth. ACU covers

UNH @ SDSU(-13) Familiar foes. For some reason UNH and 'Nova get sent to die in Brookings every season since covid. They usually die badly but man what a weird year for the Jacks. They were all but dead against UND and got it done. It felt like they rounded a corner and I think they bully UNH pretty easily to get a trip to Wa griz. SDSU wins and Covers

UND @ Tenn Tech(-3.5) Of the participants TT has the biggest and most legit gripe. Top 10 in both early reveals but fall all the way to the 13 despite only losing to SEC Kentucky? SOS is triple digits so did they just beat bad teams? Meanwhile UND is the poster child for "quality losses" They benefitted from the bubble being pretty small this year. They've lost 3 of the last 4 with the only win being against MURRRAAAYYYYY St. Tenn Tech wins and covers.

Yale @ Youngstown(-2.5) Yale is playing its best football when you want to and the QB can chuck it around a bit. I just don't think they handle the Payton winner and the Cats get the 'Guins next week YSU wins and covers.

5-3 straight
5-3 versus the spread. I picked the wrong Ivy team