North Dakota State is favored by two touchdowns at home, but the Bison are coming off a loss and Nevada just won its last game.
Nevada enters at 2-3 on a one-game winning streak, while North Dakota State sits at 5-1 but has dropped its last outing.
Game details
| When | Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET |
| Where | Fargodome |
| TV | CBSSN |
| Line | North Dakota State Bison -14.5 | O/U 42.5 (market view) |
| Nevada Wolf Pack record | 2-3 |
| North Dakota State Bison record | 5-1 |
The matchup
Nevada snapped its skid with a 30-13 road win over the UTEP Miners in week six. Before that, the Wolf Pack dropped back-to-back games to the Air Force Falcons (33-36) and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (20-27), with a week two loss to the Montana State Bobcats (7-20) sandwiched around a week one blowout win over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 49-14.
North Dakota State has been the stronger team through six weeks, outscoring opponents 175-62 on the season, but the Bison stumbled in their most recent game, falling 7-13 on the road to the UNLV Rebels. Before that stumble, North Dakota State had reeled off wins over the Wyoming Cowboys (28-0), the Sacramento State Hornets (31-10), the Air Force Falcons (38-32) and the Fordham Rams (38-0).
Key matchups
No individual key players or starting lineups are listed for either side this week, so this one comes down to team identity. North Dakota State's defense has allowed just 62 points across six games, while Nevada's offense has found paydirt in bursts — 49 points in week one, but single digits or low-20s in three of its five outings.
The Bison offense managed only seven points in its last game against UNLV, a number worth watching given how much more North Dakota State has scored in its wins this season. Nevada's defense, which has given up 110 points on the year, will need a better outing than it had in the Air Force loss if it wants to hang around.
The pick
North Dakota State is favored by 14.5 with a total of 42.5, and the market score has the Bison at 29, Nevada at 14. North Dakota State's season-long scoring margin backs that number even after the UNLV loss, and Nevada still has to prove it can keep pace with a team that's outscored opponents by that much. The pick here leans toward the Bison bouncing back at home, though Nevada's current one-game win streak makes a backdoor cover plausible if its offense shows up like it did against UTEP.
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Nevada Wolf Pack | Wk6 W 30-13 vs UTEP Miners, Wk4 L 33-36 vs Air Force Falcons, Wk3 L 20-27 vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders |
| North Dakota State Bison | Wk6 L 7-13 vs UNLV Rebels, Wk5 W 28-0 vs Wyoming Cowboys, Wk3 W 31-10 vs Sacramento State Hornets |
In this story
Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.