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FIU vs. Sam Houston State Prediction, Odds, Trends and Key Players for College Football Week 8

By Reed Wallach

Sep 16, 2023; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; FIU Golden Panthers quarterback Keyone Jenkins (1)
Sep 16, 2023; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; FIU Golden Panthers quarterback Keyone Jenkins (1) / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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Two Conference USA bottom dwellers meet in Wednesday night action.

Florida International lost to UTEP last week at home despite facing the team's fourth-string quarterback as the Panthers failed to get any traction on offense. The team is playing in a low total game against a winless Sam Houston State team, who is still searching for its first FBS win.

How should we handicap this matchup with effectiveness on both offenses in question? We have you covered below!

Get ready for Week 8 with our deep dive into Penn State vs. Ohio State

FIU vs. Sam Houston State Odds, Spread and Total

Sam Houston State vs. FIU Betting Trends

  • FIU is 3-4 against the spread (ATS) this season
  • Sam Houston State is 3-3 ATS this season
  • FIU has gone UNDER in five of seven games this season

FIU vs. Sam Houston State How to Watch

  • Date: Wednesday, October 18th
  • Game Time: 7:00 PM EST
  • Venue: Elliott T. Bowers Stadium
  • How to Watch (TV): CBS Sports Network
  • FIU Record: 3-4
  • Sam Houston State Record: 0-6

FIU vs. Sam Houston State Key Players to Watch

FIU

Keyone Jenkins: Jenkins was a game-time decision last week against UTEP but played poorly, completing only 12-of-24 passes for 216 yards. He did suffer a knee injury late in the fourth quarter but appears on track to play this week against a Sam Houston State defense that struggled to slow down New Mexico State last week in a loss.

Sam Houston State

Keegan Shoemaker: Shoemaker continues to up his passing output over the last three games, passing for over 250 yards after really struggling to start the year. The Sam Houston State offense is still far and away the worst offense in the country, he has scored 25 fewer points than the next worst team with only 67 points, but Shoemaker is starting to push the ball down the field more, averaging more than 44 pass attempts.

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FIU vs. Sam Houston State Prediction and Pick

Sam Houston State has had a brutal start to its FBS tenure, losing competitive games to Air Force and BYU before blowing a late lead to Jacksonville State and not scoring from the one-yard line in the final minute to beat Liberty.

Now, the team is being asked to cover a spread over a field goal against FIU, who has admittedly struggled as well on offense.

Both teams are going to be unable to move the ball, each bolstering a stout defensive line. FIU is 27th in pass rush grade according to Pro Football Focus, so I expect the Panthers to get pressure and make life difficult for Shoemaker, who is under center for a new pass-happy offense.

Meanwhile, the Bearkats' strength on defense is stopping the run, 47th in rush defense grade. FIU hasn't had a vertical pass game with Jenkins under center, the team is bottom 10 in EPA/Pass and is averaging less than 20 points per game.

I don't trust either offense, and I certainly don't trust Sam Houston State laying points to beat a team by margin. I believe the under is the only way to play it, even with a total in the 30s.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Track Reed's bets here!

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