The NCAA football FCS championship game is set for Sunday, Jan. 7, in Frisco, Texas, and top online sportsbooks have released full betting odds for the contest.
The undefeated defending champion South Dakota State Jackrabbits come into this game as favorites on the point spread. The University of Montana Grizzlies are at on the moneyline for their first national title game since 2009.
Read on for full FCS championship game betting odds and analysis.
FCS championship game odds
South Dakota State vs. Montana
- Spread: SD State , Montana
- Moneyline: SD State , Montana
- Total: Over/under
South Dakota State (14-0) has been an FCS juggernaut all season, so it’s not surprising to see the Jackrabbits as sizable favorites in the title game. The team hasn’t lost since September 2022, and that was a 7-3 road defeat against Iowa to kick off what would ultimately become a championship season. SD State’s offense has the ability to put up huge numbers, as it did in a 59-0 drubbing of Albany in the FCS semifinals. The defense has also pitched two shutouts in three playoff games. The Jackrabbits thumped Montana State in last season’s FCS championship game, and so far this postseason the defending champs have outscored opponents 123-12.
Montana (13-1) looked shaky to start the season but got stronger through October and November to finish as the No. 2 seed in these playoffs. The Grizzlies proved their mettle in back-to-back overtime wins to advance to the finals, including a dramatic double-overtime win over North Dakota State in the semifinals. Still, Montana had the advantage of playing at home throughout the playoffs, and it’s practically a part of FCS lore at this point that this team almost never loses in Washington-Grizzly Stadium once the postseason rolls around. The Griz haven’t been nearly as dominant on the road in the playoffs, with their last two national championship appearances (in 2008 and 2009) ending in disappointment.
Key players to watch
South Dakota State
QB Mark Gronkowski threw for three TDs in the team’s semifinal win, bringing his season total to a career-high 28 TD passes with only four interceptions. His success in protecting the football means the Jackrabbit defense rarely has to take over on a short field.
RB Isaiah Davis has logged over 100 rushing yards in five of the last six games. Davis is averaging 138 rushing yards per game in this year’s playoffs, with six total touchdowns in those three games.
Montana
WR/KR Junior Bergen was the top difference-maker for the Grizzlies in both of the last two playoff games. He returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in the quarterfinals, then saved the day in the semis with a punt return for one TD, a pass reception for another, and then threw for a score in the clinching two-point conversion in overtime.
QB Clifton McDowell has struggled at times when teams put consistent pressure on him, but he’s also deceptively effective when he pulls the ball down and runs. Even without blazing speed or dazzling moves, he’s scampered for nine rushing TDs this season and led Montana’s ground game with 118 yards rushing and one touchdown in the quarterfinal game.
How to watch the FCS championship game
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 7
- Time: 2 p.m. ET
- Broadcast: ABC
