FCS College Football Playoffs Semi-Finals Betting Picks December 21, 2024
While the world is waiting for the NCAA FBS’s first 12-team College Football Playoffs to start, the NCAA FCS teams have already been duking it out on the field in their playoff format. Twenty-four teams entered the playoffs and we’re down to just four. Ironically the four remaining are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seeds. Let’s take a look at the FCS College Football Playoffs Semi-Finals preview, picks, and best bets.
FCS College Football Playoffs Semi-Finals Preview, Picks, and Best Bets
Game 1: South Dakota State (-3 on Bet365) vs. North Dakota State
The first game in the FCS semi-finals is South Dakota St. vs. North Dakota St. Both of these teams have had a lot of success in the FCS. We’ve seen players like Carson Wentz and Trey Lance from North Dakota State get picked in the first round of the NFL Draft. North Dakota State is the second seed. However, they find themselves underdogs to the third seed South Dakota State.
These two teams faced each other back in October. It was a low-scoring affair in which North Dakota State won 13-9. Despite the low-scoring affair, North Dakota State finished this year averaging 39 points. They averaged 229 passing yards a game and 195 rushing yards. Their defense gave up 17 points per game. They allowed 194 yards through the air per game and just 119 rushing yards per game.
On the other side, South Dakota State scored 37 points a game this season. Their lowest-scoring game of the year was against North Dakota State. South Dakota State’s offense averaged 197 passing yards a game and 243 rushing yards. Their defense gave up 180 passing yards and just 87 rushing yards. These numbers show you why these two teams have matched up so well against each other in the past.
With all the history between these two, this should be an excellent game to watch. While it’s hard to beat a team twice in a year, I think North Dakota State matches up very well against South Dakota State and can slow their offense.
FCS College Football Semi-Finals Best Bets: North Dakota State (+3.5 on FanDuel) and North Dakota State Moneyline (+140 on Caesars Sportsbook)
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Game 2: South Dakota vs. Montana State (-8 on Bet365)
In the second game of the FCS Semi-Finals bets, number four seed South Dakota takes on number one seed Montana State. Montana State finished with a perfect 14- 0 record this year. South Dakota, who will hope to meet their in-state rival South Dakota State in the finals, finished 11-2 on the year.
The last time these two squared off was in September of 2023 ending in a 20-16 South Dakota victory. However, these are two different teams, and Montana State wants to finish their perfect season with an FCS Championship. This team was a well-oiled machine all year as they averaged 42 points while holding their opponents to just 17.
What stood out most about Montana State’s offense was their run game. The offense averaged an incredible 306.9 rushing yards per game. When you can rush for that many yards a game on average you don’t need your passing offense as much. However, they still put up a respectable 186 passing yards a game. South Dakota State averaged 219 passing yards and 222 rushing yards. Still 51.9 yards less than Montana State.
This is going to be the game of the week in the FCS. All eyes will be on Montana State and if they can keep the streak. I think they do, however, I’m not sure this game ends in a blowout. Yes, they’ve covered their last three double-digit spreads. However, that wasn’t against a team with the talent South Dakota has. Montana State will win this game, but it’ll be close.
FCS College Football Semi-Finals Best Bets: South Dakota (+8.5 on FanDuel) covers, but Montana State (-295 on FanDuel) wins the game.
