The quarter-finals of the NCAA Division 1 playoff take place this weekend, and here we look ahead to the action in our NCAAF betting picks.
South Dakota State comes into the last eight as the number one ranked side, and they are also the favorites to win the FCS Championship with the best NCAAF Vegas odds betting sites.
South Dakota is +175 to win the National Championship match when it takes place in early January next year. Behind SD State is Sacramento State at +220, which are just holding off North Dakota State, which is +300. The Vegas odds below are swept from all the top-tier online sportsbook providers.
| FCS Championship Winner 2022/23 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State | +175 | +175 | +170 |
| Sacramento State | +260 | +250 | +260 |
| North Dakota State | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Montana State | +750 | +700 | +750 |
| UIW | +1800 | +1500 | +1800 |
| Holy Cross | +2800 | +2500 | +2800 |
| William and Mary | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Samford | +3300 | +3500 | +4000 |
These look like the teams to beat. But when it gets to this stage of the season, the form book can get thrown out of the window. So let’s look at the four quarter-final matches and see if we can find some good value betting picks.
North Dakota is giving away 17 points on the handicap line, and you can back them at -105 with BetOnline. While with a tasty looking 17 points start, Samford is at -115. The mark of 62.5 has been set for the total points spread. Over 62.5 is -110, and under 62.5 is also -110.
ND State is 10-2, and Samford is 11-1. North Dakota is the defending champions, and in their 49-26 win over Montana Grizzlies last week, the team looked the part.
Also going in their favor is last year’s winning experience and the form of first full-year quarterback Cam Miller, who has played with a maturity well beyond his years.
I expect a win for North Dakota, and I’m taking them to beat the spread for my first betting pick.
Both the Bobcats and the Tribe are 11-1 this season, but Montana goes into this matchup as the favorites with the best Vegas college football betting sites. The Bobcats are -110 on the handicap line, starting at -8.5 points. As for William and Mary, they are also -110 with the +8.5 points advantage.
On the total points spread, the marker is 65.5. Both over and under is -110.
Montana is now up to number two in the ranking, and they are undefeated against the FCS this year bodes well for them.
It’s unfortunate that William and Mary are down to play the Bobcats at this early stage. They could be contenders if they get to the latter stages, especially if they can get Darius Wilson revved up for the occasion.
I feel that Montana will win, but I’m not convinced they will win by the nine points required to beat the handicap. So I’m choosing over 65.5 on the total points line for my betting pick.
South Dakota is the number one seed in the playoffs, and they are heavy favorites to win this matchup. The handicap marker is 18, the most for any of the four quarter-final matches.
Starting from -18, South Dakota is -110, with Holy Cross at -110 with a start. The total points spread is 54.5, with over at -115, and under at -105.
South Dakota won 42-6 against Delaware last weekend and took their season record to 11-1. As for Holy Cross, they won 35-19 against New Hampshire. This saw them maintain their 100% record.
A win of 18 or more is a lot to ask, although I believe South Dakota can do it. If they do beat the handicap spread, the chances are they will also beat the total points spread, which is why I’m playing safe here and making over 54.5 points my pick for this match.
The final match sees Sacramento State taking on UIW. Sacramento has seen their ranking slip from four to two after their 38-31 win over Richmond last weekend. The Hornets went into the fourth quarter 31-24 points down and needed to score 14 unanswered points to claim the victory.
It was far from a vintage performance, but they got the job done. And it means Sacramento now has a 12-0 record this season. Incarnate Word is 11-1.
Lindsey Scott Jr may be one of the best quarterbacks in the competition, but even he can’t prevent the Hornets from going into this match as the favorites. The handicap spread is set at 7, and from -7, Sacramento is -115. From a position of +7, UIW is -105.
Although they struggled a bit last week, the Hornets still found the energy and points to force the win. No one gets it right every week, and maybe this was Sacramento’s bad day at the office. I’m keeping the faith. Sacramento to beat the handicap spread is my final pick.
