Montana State has a chance to become FCS champions for the first time since 1984, but to do so the Bobcats need to defeat North Dakota State on Monday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN) at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
Our prediction for the North Dakota State vs. Montana State game suggests Brent Wigen's team will finish their undefeated season.
The playoff-bound Bobcats have been the favorites to win the FCS championship for weeks now.
The Bisons have won a record nine FCS national championships since 2011, but haven't won a title since 2021.
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North Dakota State - Montana State prediction and best predictions: FCS Championship
Soccer predictions are based on odds from our top soccer betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Against the Spread: Montana State -3 (-110 via Caesars) vs North Dakota State ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My top pick: Tommy Mellott scoring anytime (-150 at bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
North Dakota State vs Montana State ATS prediction for the matchup
Montana State will play the spread: -3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best Odds: -110 via Caesars | Estimated Odds: 52.38%
Overcoming a North Dakota State team won't be easy: after all, the Bisons are Alabama FCS. But Montana State is having a special season and has one of the most potent rushing attacks in recent memory.
Led by Tommy Mellott, the likely winner of the Walter Payton Award, the Bobcats have scored 30-plus points in every game this season and have won all but one FCS game by 14 or more points. In three playoff victories over UT Martin, Idaho and South Dakota, the Bobcats won by an average margin of 26.3 points.
Stopping Mellott is an almost impossible task, but it becomes even harder when you consider he has the best running back tandem in the country by his side. Scottre Humphrey and Adam Jones have combined for 2,474 rushing yards and 29 TDs this season.
This trio will be tough to stop against an NDSU defense that is outside the top 20 in rushing yards and outside the top 30 in passing yards.
Big game hunting
Beating the Bisons seemed impossible a few years ago, but this is no longer the same team that won nine titles between 2011 and 2021. While head coach Cam Miller, wide receiver Bryce Lance and offensive guard Gray Zabel are already playing in the NFL, Montana State's defense has what it takes to get the job done.
The Bobcats' defensive line, which includes Brodie Grebe, Kenneth Eiden IV and Paul Brott, presents a problem. Those three have accounted for 18.5 sacks and 112 pressures this season, and they should be able to handle Miller.
If Montana State continues to play at full strength, it could win its 16th game this season by four points and turn a $10 bet into a $9.09 profit.
North Dakota State vs. Montana State is the best pick
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Tommy Mellott scoring at any time ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: -150 via bet365 | Estimated odds: 60%
Montana State has three good options to find the end zone: Jones (-170), Mellott (-150), and Humphrey (-125). But the guy nicknamed “Touchdown Tommy” would make the most sense.
While Mellott's chances are slim, I may well favor him because he has been the Bobcats' most productive player this year. He has 14 touchdowns this season and 42 in his career, and has scored at least one in eight of his last 11 games.
Mellott is a player just waiting for a big play to happen to him: he ranks among the top 10 QBs in runs after contact (394), forced missed tackles (30) and runs of 10-plus yards (32). And if he finds the end zone in the national championship, a $10 bet would yield a $6.67 profit.
Odds for the match North Dakota State - Montana State:
North Dakota State: +3 (-110)
Montana State: -3 (-110)
FCS Championship Game Information
When: Monday, Jan. 6
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
How to watch: ESPN
Weather: 39 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 14 mph NW winds
Favorite: Montana State -3 (-110 via Caesars)
