Montana State vs. North Dakota State Prediction, Odds, Against Spread and OVER/Under for FCS National Championship
By Matt De Saro
The North Dakota State Bison are back in the FCS Title Game for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons. This year, they will face off against the Montana State Bobcats. In stark contrast to the Bison, this will be the first appearance in the FCS National Championship Game since the mid-80s. The Bison opened as TD favorites to win this game. But, the Bobcats are a dangerous team that has already beaten last season’s defending champions Sam Houston State.
However, the Bison have absolutely dominated the FCS in the last decade. Think of them as the Tom Brady-led Patriots in their prime years. They have won eight of the last 10 FCS titles and were double-digit winners in four of those games. However, they might have trouble running away with this game as the Bobcats have the best defense in the FCS and a fair amount of momentum at their back.
Here are the odds for this FCS National Championship Game, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.
Montana State vs. North Dakota State Spread and Over/Under
Spread:
- Montana State: +7 (-110)
- North Dakota State: -7 (-110)
Moneyline:
- Montana State: +234
- North Dakota State: -295
Total:
- 42 (Over -110/Under -110)
Montana State vs. North Dakota State Prediction and Pick
Despite a long layoff for both of these teams, I expect both to be well prepared to do battle on Saturday. The last we saw of North Dakota State, they were knocking James Madison out of the running with a 20-14 victory in the semifinals. The team is led by QB Cam Miller who has 1,318 yards on the year. Miller doesn't light up the scoreboard, but he is consistent and has a strong running game to back him up. FB Hunter Luepke has 461 yards rushing and five touchdowns while Tamerick Williams has 718 yards and 12 scores. Williams is considered the playmaker of the crew but was shut down in the semifinals with just 19 yards on eight carries.
Montana State employs a more traditional gameplan with QB Tommy Mellott at the helm. He went 10-for-15 with 233 yards in the semifinal win over South Dakota State. Mellott added 34 rushes 155 yards in a very impressive performance all-around.
As I mentioned above, the Bobcats have the best scoring defense in the FCS with an average of 11.21 points allowed per game. And while that is massive, it should be noted that Montana State is No. 2 in that category with an average of 13.43 PPG allowed. While the Bobcats total is noticeably better, the Bison are far from a defensive liability. The Bison possess a much better scoring offense, however, and rank 14th in the FCS. Meanwhile, the Bobcats are tied for 37th in the same category.
To me, these figures suggest a low-scoring championship game. We have the first and second-best defenses in the nation going up against two rather average offenses. Give me the UNDER here with a small lean on the underdogs to keep it close.
Pick: Montana State & North Dakota State UNDER 42 (-110)