FIU vs. Sam Houston State Best Bet: Can Keegan Shoemaker, Bearkats Get Their First Win of the Season Tonight?
The Sam Houston Bearkats host the FIU Panthers tonight. Can Keegan Shoemaker and the Bearkats get their first win of the season? Ben Rajavuori shares his FIU vs. Sam Houston State best bet.
Ben Rajavuori - October 18, 2023, 4:25 PM EDT
7 minFIU vs. Sam Houston State Best Bet: Can Keegan Shoemaker, Bearkats Get Their First Win of the Season Tonight?
The Sam Houston Bearkats host the FIU Panthers tonight from Huntsville, Texas, with the Bearkats looking for their first win of the season as they sit 0-6 on the year. FIU enters this game with a 3-4 record and is coming off three losses in a row. Both teams sit at the bottom of their conference, with FIU at 0-4 in conference play and Sam Houston at 0-3. Can the Bearkats get their first win as an FBS program?
FIU vs. Sam Houston State Date, Start Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: October 18, 2023
- Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: CBSSN
FIU vs. Sam Houston State Prediction
Sam Houston has not been welcomed easily into life as an FBS program. In their first season in the FBS, they are 0-6. However, their scheduling has done them no favors. Their season started off with a road game at BYU, a game they only lost 0-14. The next week, they had to play Air Force, a game they only lost 3-13. Their defense excelled in both games, but they couldn't muster enough offense. They lost to Houston to close non-conference play, and their conference games have been even better. They lost by one touchdown in their conference opener, losing to Jacksonville State 28-35. Jax State is 4-1 in conference play, so that's not a bad loss. Then, they followed that up with a 16-21 loss to Liberty on the road, and Liberty is 7-0 on the season.
Last week, they lost 13-27 to New Mexico State, but the final score is not indicative of the game. Sam Houston had 367 yards of offense but only mustered 13 points because they went 1-4 on fourth downs, turning it over on downs three times. They actually played a good game, not turning the ball over once, and Keegan Shoemaker had 285 passing yards with two touchdowns without throwing a pick. New Mexico State took advantage of some short fields and also took care of the ball, which led them to a 14-point win. Still, watching that game with a bet on Sam Houston, they actually looked pretty good and played better than the score indicated.
On the FIU side, they have a better record at 3-4, but they have gotten a few breaks scheduling-wise. They opened their season with a road loss to Louisiana Tech. Then, they beat an FCS team after that, then a horrible defense in North Texas, then another horrible defense in UConn. After starting 3-1 with all three of those wins coming against bad teams, they have dropped all their conference games, exposing the once 3-1 team. They did not even look competitive against Liberty, lost to New Mexico State by 17, and only put up 14 points on UTEP falling 14-27 at home last week.
I believe Sam Houston can win and cover this game with Keegan Shoemaker. The Bearkats do not have much of a rushing attack, but they won't need one against FIU. FIU has a 120th-ranked defense and may very well be the worst defense the Bearkats have faced all year. Their secondary gives up big plays and is beatable. On the other side, the Bearkats have a 70th-ranked defense, even after playing a tough non-conference schedule and playing the top two teams in the conference already. The records don't tell the whole story here, with the Bearkats sitting at 0-6 and FIU sitting at 3-4. Sam Houston has the much better defense in this game, and that combined with the drive to win their first game as an FBS team in front of their home crowd as well will bring them a win tonight. I love Sam Houston to win and cover.
FIU vs. Sam Houston State Best Bet
Pick: Sam Houston -5.5 -110 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
Win a $50 Gift Card on College Football Saturday
Think you know what's going to happen in various games on College Football Saturday this week? Answer the pick questions below for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!
College Football Odds
