Montana vs. South Dakota State Prediction and Odds for FCS National Championship
By Reed Wallach
Don't you worry, there's some college football on Saturday night.
South Dakota State will look to make it two straight FCS National Championships against an upstart Montana team that has one of the most potent offenses in the FCS ranks. Will the Jackrabbits hold serve and secure another title?
Oddsmakers are counting on it with South Dakota State laying double digits, let's break down the odds and see who will hoist the trophy on Saturday afternoon.
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Montana vs. South Dakota State Odds, Spread and Total
South Dakota State vs. Montana Betting Trends
- South Dakota State has covered in two of three FCS playoff games
- Montana State has covered in seven of its last eight games
- Montana State has gone OVER in three straight
- South Dakota State had gone UNDER nine straight games prior to the semifinals
Montana vs. South Dakota State How to Watch
- Date: Saturday, January 7th
- Game Time: 2:00 PM EST
- Venue: Toyota Stadium
- How to Watch (TV): ABC
- Montana Record: 13-1
- South Dakota State Record: 14-0
Montana vs. South Dakota State Key Players to Watch
Montana
Junior Bergen: The home run hitting threat for the Grizzlies offense, Bergen will try to hit enough big plays to outpace the Jackrabbits offense. SDSU has a stout defense, but Bergen can bend defenses with his speed. He has 55 catches on nearly 14 yards per catch with five receiving touchdowns. He also plays special teams, taking back a punt to the house in each of the last two postseason games. He has one kick return touchdown and three punt return TD's this season.
South Dakota State
Mark Gronkowski: The veteran quarterback will look to lead the Jackrabbits to another FCS title, but will face a shutdown Montana defense that hasn't allowed more than 200 yards passing in each of the past four games. The junior has combined for 35 touchdowns while passing for over 2,800 yards.
Montana vs. South Dakota State Prediction and Pick
While Montana has been impressive in its run to the title game, it's hard not to look at South Dakota State finding enough answers to pull away and cover this point spread.
The Jackrabbits offense has been humming in postseason play, scoring a combined 123 points in three playoff games while allowing only 12. SDSU is equipped to handle the Grizzlies' on both sides of the ball as well.
South Dakota State leads the FCS ranks in turnvoers (26) and also has 24 sacks in 14 games. I believe that the team is going to put the Grizzlies behind the sticks and negate its stud freshman running back Eli Gillman impact on this game.
On the other side, Gronkowski is an incredibly adept passer, but it's not just him, as South Dakota State has a fantastic running back in Isaiah Davis, who has rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns this season. Montana plays an aggressive defense, but the Jackrabbits may be able to exploit that with its veteran-laden offense.
As long as SDSU avoids a Bergen punt return touchdown, I believe the team can outpace the Grizz and win another title, covering in the process.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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