FCS Quarterfinals Betting Preview

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The Montana Grizzlies have a forecast 50% chance to win against The James Madison Dukes with a spread of -1.0/1.0 and an over/under of 57.5. The Montana Grizzlies are 0 - 0 against The James Madison Dukes in the 2021-22 Season.

— Friday, December 10th Montana Grizzlies @ James Madison Dukes

Although it usually falls under the shadow of some of the bigger championship games, the FCS has some great matchups. This week there are four FCS Quarterfinal games that people shouldn’t miss out on.

More importantly, it gives you a chance to land some extra winnings this weekend. To help out, we broke down each game and give you our pick for each.

This way, even if you don’t know much about the teams, you’ll at least know more about the game. So, let’s get started on covering the FCS Quarterfinals.

December 10th - Montana at James Madison

Our first matchup is between Montana and James Madison. Montana finished their season with a 10-2 record while James Madison finished 11-1. Now, each of these teams has a fairly strong offense, but the James Madison Dukes come in -7.

Although we believe that the Dukes will win this game, we don’t think they’ll cover. Montana has a pretty good offense, and their defense can keep this one close. The Grizzlies have also been pretty reliable at the sportsbook this season, giving us even more confidence.

Our pick for this one is the Montana Grizzlies +7 and OVER.

December 11th - East Tennessee State at North Dakota State

The 11-1 East Tennessee State Buccaneers take on the 11-1 North Dakota State Bisons on Saturday afternoon. Each of these teams had an incredible season, but only one can continue on.

The Buccaneers have a great passing team but nearly lost their last two games. They come into this game as +23.5-point underdogs. Can we trust them to keep it within 24?

We believe the answer to that question is no. The North Dakota State Bison have beaten teams handily all season, and we think it will continue here. The Buccaneers don’t have enough defense to stave off the Bison offense.

That being said, although 23.5 points is a lot to cover, we believe the Bison can do it. Our pick is the North Dakota State Bison -23.5 and OVER.

December 12th - South Dakota State at Villanova

North Dakota State isn’t the only Dakota team in the quarterfinals. The South Dakota State Jack Rabbits have found their way in as well.

They’ve gone 10-3 this season and find themselves facing Villanova as seven-point favorites. Can they cover the spread on Sunday and move onto the semifinals? Or could they find themselves eliminated by Villanova?

Although Villanova is normally known for its basketball prowess, their football team isn’t bad. Clearly, they’ve found themselves in the FCS Quarterfinals, so they must be pretty good.

This year, they’ve gone 10-2 and played pretty well in their loss to Penn State. We think there’s an upset on the horizon here. Our pick is the Villanova Wildcats +7 and OVER. 

December 13th - Montana State at Sam Houston State

Both Montana and Montana State found their way into the FCS Quarterfinals this year. However, Montana State has to face Sam Houston State, a team favored by six points.

Montana State had a strong season, going 10-2 with some notable wins. They’ve got a good defense as well, only allowing a 20-point game once this season.

Sam Houston State went 11-0 this year and has a dynamite offense. However, their defense is where they struggle. They had multiple games this year, allowing over 20 points. Lucky for them, their offense bailed them out.

This time, we think this game might get a little too close for comfort for Sam Houston. They’ll win, but not by six; our pick is Montana State +6 and UNDER.

Below are the full ratings for this week's FCS contests:

DECEMBER 10

Montana at James Madison
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Montana 85.386; James Madison 86.141
Dunkel Line & Total: James Madison by 1; 62
Vegas Line & Total: James Madison by 7; 45 ½
Dunkel Pick: Montana (+7); Over

DECEMBER 11

East Tennessee State at North Dakota State
Time: 12:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: East Tennessee State 64.585; North Dakota State 96.109
Dunkel Line & Total: North Dakota State by 31 ½; 60
Vegas Line & Total: North Dakota State by 23 ½; 48
Dunkel Pick: North Dakota State (-23 ½); Over

South Dakota State at Villanova
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: South Dakota State 78.766; Villanova 80.430
Dunkel Line & Total: Villanova by 1 ½; 54
Vegas Line & Total: South Dakota State by 7; 49 ½
Dunkel Pick: Villanova (+7); Over

Montana State at Sam Houston State
Time: 8:30 pm ET
Dunkel Ratings: Montana State 78.752; Sam Houston State 80.974
Dunkel Line & Total: Sam Houston State by 2; 36
Vegas Line & Total: Sam Houston State by 6; 48 ½
Dunkel Pick: Montana State (+6); Under

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