North Dakota State vs South Dakota State Preview: Prediction, Line, Betting Trends & H2H History

• The Dakota Marker Trophy is at stake when No. 2 South Dakota State host No. 1 North Dakota State Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
• It’s the third time in the last four years these two teams have met while being No. 1 and No. 2 and these two teams have won the last four FCS national titles.
• How about some FCS football Saturday night? I’ve got a look at the betting trends, history and North Dakota State vs South Dakota State prediction.

The best Week 9 college football match-up in the country is at Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota, as North Dakota State (7-0; 4-3 ATS) takes on South Dakota State (7-0; 3-4 ATS) Saturday night.

North Dakota State, ranked No. 1 in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), comes in as a 3.5-point favorite.

If you’re looking for snow and cold, this won’t be it. The forecast is cloudy, with temperatures in the upper 40s. If you’re looking for a game preview, I’ve got you covered with my North Dakota State vs South Dakota State prediction, plus a breakdown of the line and betting trends.

North Dakota State vs South Dakota State Prediction

• South Dakota State +3.5 (-102 at FanDuel)

• Under 49.5 (-110 at FanDuel)

Treat this like you would any other major college football clash. It’s No. 1 at rival No. 2, and I’m leaning on the Jackrabbits to cover the spread.

South Dakota State is led by quarterback Cole Mason. He started his college career as a baseball player at Nebraska, but transferred home to play for the Jackrabbits. He’s 7-0 in his first seven starts and has thrown for 11 touchdowns.

Jackrabbits running back Julius Loughridge transferred in from Fordham, where he ran for 3,005 yards in three seasons. He has been unstoppable at South Dakota State with 752 yards already.

North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton is also in his first year as a starter. He’s a dual threat who has thrown for 1,565 yards and 11 scores. Yes, there must be a rule about the quarterbacks having last names that are also common first names.

These are two teams who want to line up and run right at each other. I’ll take the under in that case.

North Dakota State vs South Dakota State Line, Betting Trends

Odds as of Friday night (Oct. 24) at FanDuel. Get in on the fun with our exclusive FanDuel promo code.

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No. 1 North Dakota State has been favored by 30 or more points four times this season. The lowest spread – until Saturday – has been 19.5. The Bison’s average winning margin is 33.5 points.

No. 2 South Dakota State has also been favored in every game this season; four times the spread has been 28 points or more. The Jackrabbits have played a slightly better schedule and have only won by an average of 19.5 points.

The Jackrabbits are 4-3 over/under this season, while the Bison are 3-4. The teams are meeting for the 118th time. North Dakota State leads the series 65-47 with five ties.

NDSU vs SDSU H2H History

2024 FCS Semifinals: North Dakota State 28, South Dakota State 21 (SD State -3.0)

Bryce Lance made a one-handed TD catch with 4:18 left to send the Bison to the national title game.

2024 Regular Season: North Dakota State 13, South Dakota State 9 (SD State -1.5)

RaJa Nelson caught a TD pass from Cam Miller with 1:49 remaining to lift the Bison to a win, snapping the Jackrabbits’ 19-game conference win streak.

2023 Regular Season: South Dakota State 33, North Dakota State 16

Mark Gronowski (now at Iowa) threw a pair of TD passes as the Jackrabbits rolled.

2022 FCS National Championship: South Dakota State 45, North Dakota State 21 (SD State -5.5)

South Dakota State scored on five of six first-half possessions and opened a 31-14 halftime lead. SDSU’s 45 points were the second most allowed by NDSU since beginning Division I play in 2004.

2022 Regular Season: South Dakota State 23, North Dakota State 21

Hunter Dustman made a pair of fourth-quarter field goals to lift the Jackrabbits to a win inside the Fargo Dome.