North Dakota State vs South Dakota State Odds, Pick and Prediction – FCS Championship Game
- Rivals North Dakota State and South Dakota State meet in the FCS championship game Sunday, January 8
- South Dakota State is a 4.5-point favorite over defending FCS champion North Dakota State in Frisco, Texas
- Read below for North Dakota State vs South Dakota State odds, analysis and prediction
No. 1 seed South Dakota State (13-1) has been bet up to a 4.5-point favorite over No. 3 seed North Dakota State in the FCS championship game at 2 pm ET Sunday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The Jackrabbits, who have won 13 straight games, lost the title game to Sam Houston in 2020.
No. 4 North Dakota State (12-2) has won nine of the last 11 FCS titles, the last a 38-10 victory over Montana State in 2021. South Dakota State won the regular-season meeting between the two, scoring the final 16 points for a 23-21 victory.
Let’s dive into the North Dakota State vs South Dakota State odds for the FCS Championship game and find the best bet.
North Dakota State vs South Dakota State Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State Bison | +4.5 (-110) | +160 | Over 47.5 (-110) |
| South Dakota State Jackrabbits | -4.5 (-110) | -194 | Under 47.5 (-110) |
Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook on Jan.5. Claim the FanDuel promo code for betting the FCS Final.
South Dakota State is a 4.5-point favorite over North Dakota State in the FCS championship game. The Jackrabbits are 10-4 ATS this season. They covered as an 11-point underdog in a 7-3 loss at Iowa in the season opener, their only game against an FBS opponent.
North Dakota State is 5-9 ATS this season, all as a favorite. The Bison failed to cover as a 3.5-point favorite in a 31-28 road loss to Pac-12 Arizona, their only game against an FBS foe this season.
South Dakota State on a Roll
The Jackrabbits have saved their best for last. They averaged 41 points per game in their first three playoff games — routs of Delaware, Holy Cross and Montana State — and had an average victory margin of 33 points.
The Jacks had 281 yards rushing and three touchdowns in the most recent, a 39-18 victory over Montana State in a snowy semifinal. Isaiah Davis had 158 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries against the Bobcats and dual-threat quarterback Mark Gronowski completed 10 of 13 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 52 yards and a score.
Davis has 1,348 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns with eight 100-yard games this season. He has broken 100 yards in all three playoff games, with a total of 416 yards and four touchdowns in 50 carries. Gronowski, like Davis sophomore, has passed for 2,744 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for 351 yards and 11 scores. He has thrown five interceptions, none in the postseason.
South Dakota State, which has made the FCS semifinals in five of the last six seasons, has won 12 games in a row after opening the season with a 7-3 loss at Iowa. The Jackrabbits are second in the FCS in total defense and lead in rushing defense at 83.0 yards per game. Montana State had 52 yards rushing in the semis after averaging an FCS-high 332 rushing yards coming in.
North Dakota State Seeks Revenge
The Bison enter after a 35-32 home victory over pass-first Incarnate Word in the semifinals three weeks ago. Incarnate Word put up 539 yards total offense, the most against North Dakota State in a postseason game, and took a 16-0 lead before the Bison recovered behind Kobe Johnson and an opportunistic defense.
Johnson rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with eight minutes remaining, and Dawson Weber had his second interception of the game with 73 seconds remaining to clinch the victory.
#FCS Playoff Semifinal
3rd Qt, 12:56No. 3 seed North Dakota State 24, No. 7 seed UIW 16
NDSU RB Kobe Johnson 49-yard TD run pic.twitter.com/KXKeBwAfhU
— FCS Football (@FCS_STATS) December 17, 2022
Bison left tackle Cody Mauch, a key to the running game, is expected to be a high pick in the 2023 NFL draft, but running backs TaMerik Williams (foot) and Johnson (finger) are at best questionable after suffering injuries against Incarnate Word. Johnson, who had 206 yards rushing in the 49-20 victory over Montana in the first round of the playoffs, is listed as a possible starter. Williams is out.
Quarterback Cam Miller has passed for 1,715 and 11 touchdowns with three interceptions and has rushed for 497 yards and 15 touchdowns.
North Dakota State vs South Dakota State Prediction
North Dakota State has a lot of history on its side here. The Bison have won the previous four postseason meetings against South Dakota State, most recently in the 2018 semifinals, and are 7-0 in FCS playoff rematches against regular-season foes. That includes a pay-back win against the Jackrabbits in 2016.
South Dakota State has won the last three meetings, and it has five wins over the Bison since 2011. No other opponent has more than two. In a game that means the world to both programs, the points are the play.
- Pick: North Dakota State +4.5 (-110)
- Season CFB: 49-50 ATS
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Jack has covered college and professional sports for various Arizona media outlets since the 1980s and has written for the Associated Press, USA Today and Baseball America, among others. He staffed the 2015-17 World Series and has staffed four Super Bowls.
