Ray “The Razor” Monohan – Last Updated on November 30, 2022 8:43 am
Week 1: Bison vs Grizzlies Odds
College football betting sees the North Dakota State Bison taking on the Montana Grizzlies Saturday August 29th at Washington Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football predictions.
North Dakota State (0-0) vs. Montana (0-0)
Week 1
Date: Saturday, August 29th
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Venue: Washington Grizzly Stadium – Missoula, Montana
NCAA Football Spread: North Dakota State -14.5
NCAA Betting Total: 46.0
MORE DETAILSMORE DETAILSMORE DETAILSMORE DETAILSMORE DETAILSNorth Dakota State travels to Montana for the new annual FCS Kickoff game Saturday afternoon. The duo have been deemed the best of the 2nd tier teams in NCAA football and will offer college football fans a chance to see 2 teams who will likely be there in the end as far as the FCS is concerned.
North Dakota State reigns as the 4 straight FCS champions and will look to kick off their quest for a 5th straight tenure against the team that has been picked by many to give them a run for their money.
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Last year in the head-to-head battle, the Bison handled the Grizzlies 22-10 in a field goal infested affair.
Bison Kicker Adam Keller kicked 5 field goals, which holds as the school record. The Bison scored on 4 of their first 5 possessions and nearly doubled the time of possession.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 om ESPN.
North Dakota State
The Bison have claimed the kings court of the FCS and have put a giant target on their back heading into this season. 4 straight championships, which is only the 2nd time and NCAA program has won 4 straight titles.
Since the 2011 season, the Bison are a ridiculous 58-3 S.U. The team’s S.U. record is just a minuscule of what records they hold. NDSU had 33 consecutive wins from 2012-2014 and held the #1 spot in the FCS Coaches Poll for 30 straight weeks from 2012-2014.
North Dakota finished 15-1 last season and went 7-1 in MVFC. The Bison offense averaged 32.9 points last season, which was led by now Senior QB Carson Wentz. The 6-6 senior threw for 3111 yards last season and 25 touchdowns.
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The Bison really won games within the trenches and their dominant running game.
North Dakota State rushed for 235.2 yards a game. With that they dominated the time of possession as they averaged 34:04 minutes a game.
The Bison have won 4 straight in this series to grab a 4-3 series lead.
Montana Grizzlies
The Grizzlies won the first 3 games against the Bison in their program history as they defeated the Bison in 1914, 1921, and 1941.
Head coach Bob Stitt will be making his debut and has quite the shoes to fill. Former head coach Mick Delaney retired following the Grizzlies 2014 season.
Stitt was the head coach for NCAA DII Colorado School of Mines. He led his team to a 108-62 record.
Out of the Big Sky, Montana returns now Junior QB Brady Gustafson. The 6-7 QB won the position battle between 3 different QBs with a solid spring and summer camps.
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Recruiting was the biggest question mark for the Grizzlies as Delaney stepped down, but that didn’t Stitt. The new head coach brings in 36 new recruits which includes 12 wide receivers, three QBS, and two RBs. Stitt also solidified the defense with the rest rounding out the defensive line and linebacking core.
The Grizzlies averaged 29.6 points a game while their opponents averaged 21.0. The Grizzlies offered a solid balance between their run/pass game as they averaged 167.9 on the ground to 226.6 through the air.
NCAA football handicapping trends
Bison are 2-3 ATS since 2014.
Bison are 2-3 Under since 2014.
Grizzlies are 2-1 ATS since 2014
Grizzlies are 1-2 Under since 2014.
Grizzlies are 7-0 S.U. at home since 2014.
Week 1 NCAA Football Prediction
The Bison will have high hopes and a lot of momentum going into this 2015 campaign. Montana has a lot recruits coming in to solidify their position openings which will help the cause a lot. However, there are just so many questions in regards to their QB.
4* Free NCAA Betting Pick: North Dakota State -14.5
With this being a the kickoff Saturday game on ESPN, Montana will be rocking early and they were certainly be pumped up. However, North Dakota State’s rush offense is just too strong and will control the clock in a lopsided victory to start off their 2015 title defense.
Week 1 Score Prediction: North Dakota State 34- Montana 10
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