Holy Cross vs South Dakota State Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for FCS Quarterfinals (Jackrabbits Hop to Semifinals)

Holy Cross vs South Dakota State Game Info

2022 FCS Football Championship — Quarterfinals
Holy Cross Crusaders (12-0) vs. South Dakota State Jackrabbits (11-1)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Venue: Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium — Brookings, SD
Coverage: ESPN, ESPN+

The 2022 FCS Championship quarterfinals are here, featuring a matchup between the Holy Cross Crusaders and South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Holy Cross' perfect campaign continued with a 35-19 win over New Hampshire on Saturday, led by the backfield combining for 303 rushing yards with four touchdowns on 55 carries. Meanwhile, South Dakota State grabbed its 11th consecutive win that same day, scoring a 42-6 blowout victory against Delaware as the Jackrabbits' defense held the Blue Hens to just 192 total yards.

Can Holy Cross continue flirting with perfection this weekend? Or will South Dakota State find a way to hand the Crusaders their first loss of the campaign?

Holy Cross vs South Dakota State Odds & Spread

All FCS betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline: HC: (+610) | SDST: (-950)
Spread: HC: +17.5 (-104) | SDST: -17.5 (-118)
Total: 54.5 — Over: (-104) | Under: (-118)

South Dakota State enters this contest as a clear favorite on the spread and moneyline. This quarterfinals clash also features a total of 54.5, which is tied for the lowest among this week's FCS totals. 

Holy Cross vs South Dakota State Prediction & Pick

This game is a collision between two teams with opposite styles. While Holy Cross has succeeded due to it owning the fifth-best FCS offense (38.8 PPG), South Dakota State has relied on its defense to get the job done, giving up just 14.8 PPG (No. 3).

One thing that gives South Dakota State is its third-down defense, holding opponents to a 33.9% success rate. For comparison, Holy Cross allows opponents to convert on 38.6% of third downs and while that doesn't seem like a huge margin between the two sides, that 4.7% difference could make all the difference in a playoff game.

With the Jackrabbits having one of the best defenses among FCS schools, look for South Dakota State to advance to the next round.

Final Score Prediction: South Dakota State: 33 | Holy Cross: 24

Holy Cross vs South Dakota State Betting Trends

- Holy Cross is 2-4 against the spread (ATS) in its last six games.
- South Dakota State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games.
- The total has hit the over in six of Holy Cross' last eight games.
- The total has hit the over in four of South Dakota State's last five games.

Holy Cross vs South Dakota State Best Bet

All NCAAF betting lines, odds and prop bets are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.

A 15.5-point spread is much too volatile for my liking, so I'm moving to the spread to find the best bet. The 54.5-point total is the lowest of the FCS quarterfinals, but I do believe that South Dakota State and Holy Cross have the offensive talent to get the job done.

Along with averaging a combined 71.0 PPG, the total has also gone over in six of Holy Cross' last eight games, as well as in four of South Dakota's most recent five outings. With a chance to advance to the next round of the playoffs also on the line, don't be surprised if there are more points than expected.

Bet: Over 54.5 Points (-104)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.