South Dakota State vs North Dakota State Prediction, Preview & Odds – FCS Semifinals (Dec. 21)
By Zach Reger in College Football
Published:
- South Dakota State and North Dakota State play in the FCS Semifinals
- The Jackrabbits are favored to advance to the FCS Championship
- Keep reading for the latest South Dakota State vs North Dakota State odds, picks, and prediction for Saturday, December 21
The FCS Semifinals kick off at the Fargodome at noon ET on Saturday, December 21. The Jackrabbits and the Bison know each other very well and will battle for a spot in the FCS Championship.
Both teams have looked great in the postseason so far. South Dakota State, the 3 seed, beat Montana 35-18 in the second round and Incarnate Word 55-14 in the quarterfinals to get here. The 2 seed, North Dakota State, defeated Abilene Christian 51-31 and Mercer 31-7 to get to the semifinals.
Saturday will be the 117th time that these two programs have played each other. North Dakota State leads the all-time series 64-47-5 and is 4-1 when playing the Jackrabbits in the FCS Playoffs. Earlier this season, North Dakota State beat South Dakota State 13-9 at home ending a five-game winning streak in this series by the Jackrabbits.
South Dakota State vs North Dakota State Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State Jackrabbits | -3.5 (-105) | -162 | Over 48.5 (-110) |
| North Dakota State Bison | +3.5 (-115) | +136 | Under 48.5 (-110) |
The college football odds list the 3 seed as a 3.5-point road favorite over North Dakota State. The line has moved from South Dakota State -2.5 to -3.5. The O/U is set at 48.5 in this FCS Semifinal matchup.
Odds as of Friday, December 20 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Make sure you claim the best DraftKings promo code before locking in your South Dakota State vs North Dakota State bets.
South Dakota State Betting Trends
South Dakota State has won back-to-back National Championships and is 12-2 on the year. Following their loss to North Dakota State, the Jackrabbits rattled off seven straight wins.
On offense, the Jackrabbits average just under 40 points per game. Quarterback Mark Gronowski has 2,517 passing yards and 22 touchdowns on the year, with seven interceptions. He leans heavily on his favorite target, Griffin Wilde, who has 1,088 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on the campaign. The second-leading receiver for South Dakota State has just 346 yards. They also have a great ground game with Amar Johnson. Johnson is averaging over six yards per carry and has over 1,100 rushing yards this season. He also has 14 total touchdowns. When the offense is humming, they are tough for any defense to stop.
South Dakota State plays some interesting concepts on defense. Here they go 2 to the field and 4 to the boundary. Most teams play 6, 4 to field 2 to boundary. QB makes the right read on the dig but never sees the sam LB playing the curl. He reads it and makes the pick. pic.twitter.com/dA5XEbi4L8
— coachkou (@coachkou) January 14, 2024
Their offense is great, but their defense is even better. South Dakota State leads the country in scoring defense and is fifth in total defense. They get their opponents to third down and are exceptional at getting off the field. The Jackrabbits are led by a pair of strong linebackers in Adam Bock and Caleb Francl who have combined for 166 tackles, 17 TFLs, and four sacks. They are also talented in the backend with safeties Tucker Large and Matthew Durrance.
North Dakota State Betting Trends
North Dakota State is also 12-2 on the season. They lost their last game of the regular season to South Dakota, who is the 4-seed in the FCS Playoffs but have won both of their playoff games in convincing fashion. The Bison are looking to reach their first FCS Championship game since 2022 when they lost to the Jackrabbits 45-21.
The Bison are led by senior quarterback Cam Miller, who has had a great season. Miller has thrown for 2,873 and 28 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Bryce Lance is his favorite target and has game-breaking speed. One-on-one, Lance can make any defender miss in the open field. Their leading rusher is CharMar Brown, and he has 1,081 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground this season.
North Dakota State’s defense is opportunistic and great at forcing turnovers. The turnover battle could easily be the deciding factor between these two talented teams. The Bison are strong in the front seven with defensive tackle Eli Mostaert and linebacker Logan Kopp. Mostaert leads the team with 11.5 tackles for loss, and Kopp leads the team in total tackles.
FCS Semifinals Prediction
Even on a loaded football weekend, this game could be one of the best games on Saturday. Despite being a worse seed, South Dakota State is the better team. They have the best defense in the FCS and they have a strong running game. In their last game, the Jackrabbits struggled to throw the ball, but their aerial offense has really come together after that game. I believe they will have a more balanced attack in this one.
Betting against North Dakota State at the Fargodome is never easy, but I like Jackrabbits to get to their third consecutive FCS Championship game.
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Zach has been involved in the sports betting industry for three years. After starting to bet on sports in college, Zach was interested in how it can make any game interesting. The trends, line movement, and finding unique angles to predict the outcomes of games captivated Zach to get more involved.
