College football’s 2023 FCS playoffs move into the quarterfinal round this week, and top online sportsbooks have complete odds on all four games, spread out across Friday and Saturday.
The action begins on Friday night with Furman at +17.5 on the road against sizable home favorite Montana. The quarterfinal round continues on Saturday with Villanova at South Dakota State (-20.5), followed by North Dakota State at South Dakota (+6.5), and finishing with Albany at Idaho (-4.5) on Saturday night.
Below, we’ll take a closer look at each matchup, along with full betting odds for every FCS quarterfinal game.
FCS playoff quarterfinal odds
Friday, Dec. 8
Furman at Montana
- Spread: Furman , Montana
- Moneyline: Furman , Montana
- Total: Over/under
Furman (10-2) picked up a 26-7 second round win at home against Chattanooga last week, but the offense looked sluggish at times. The Paladins’ defense has been good enough to make up for some of those shortcomings so far, holding Chattanooga to just 84 passing yards and pitching a shutout through the final three quarters.
Montana (11-1) will present a different challenge, especially at home in Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The team hasn’t lost a playoff game at home since 2013 and is undefeated in Missoula this season. The Griz trounced Delaware 49-19 amid snowy conditions last week. QB Clifton McDowell threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the win. Montana’s defense hasn’t allowed more than 21 points in a game since October, with the last five visiting opponents averaging just 10.6 points per game on the Grizzlies’ home turf.
Saturday, Dec. 9
Villanova at South Dakota State
- Spread: Villanova , SD State
- Moneyline: Villanova , SD State
- Total: Over/under
Villanova (10-2) steamrolled Youngstown State at home in the second round, logging a 45-28 win. Still, the Wildcats don’t have any one dominant area of their game, and they haven’t faced the same level of competition that some of the other teams have. Both the team’s losses this season have come on the road.
South Dakota State (12-0) hasn’t lost a game since September of 2022 and is the top overall seed in these playoffs for a reason. The Jackrabbits cruised to an easy 41-0 win over Mercer in the first round, with RB Isaiah Davis running for 117 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries. The defending champs also haven’t lost a home game in over two years.
North Dakota State at South Dakota
- Spread: ND State , South Dakota
- Moneyline: ND State , South Dakota
- Total: Over/under
North Dakota State (10-3) pulled off one of the most difficult feats in FCS playoff football last week — winning on the road. The Bison came into Bozeman as a 2.5-point underdog and beat Montana State 35-34 in overtime to move on. However far this team makes it this postseason, it will likely be the running game that carries it. RB TaMerik Williams rushed for 162 yards and two TDs last week, averaging 14.7 yards per carry. The team as a whole ran for well over 200 yards, which is the kind of thing that can keep ND State competitive in almost any matchup.
South Dakota (10-2) jumped out to an early lead against Sacramento State in last week’s second-round game, then relied on a stiff defense to carry the load down the stretch. The Coyotes did lose a rare home game this season, but that was against the in-state powerhouse SD State. During the regular season, only three teams managed to put up more than 20 points against South Dakota, and one of those was Division I Missouri in the season-opener.
Albany at Idaho
- Spread: Albany , Idaho
- Moneyline: Albany , Idaho
- Total: Over/under
Albany (10-3) is coming off a string of lopsided wins, most recently blowing out Richmond 41-13 in the second round of the playoffs. The Great Danes have won six in a row, but they posted a 4-3 record on the road this season, which stands in contrast to the 6-0 mark for the team at home. Still, the defense boasts a serious pass rush, and QB Reese Poffenbarger looked great while throwing for two TDs in last week’s win.
Idaho (9-3) is coming off an overtime win over Southern Illinois that was closer than many expected in the second round. The Vandals finished second in the always tough Big Sky Conference, and their only home loss this season was against conference champion Montana. The defense has been shaky at times, but the offense is averaging over 33 points per game this season.
Explore CFB Odds
Looking for more College Football odds that aren’t FCS? Check out our complete list of odds below:
How to watch the FCS playoff quarterfinals
- Furman vs. Montana, Friday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
- Villanova vs. South Dakota State, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN
- North Dakota State vs. South Dakota, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Albany vs. Idaho, Saturday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN2
