The MTSU Blue Raiders are set to face the Toledo Rockets Friday in the Bahamas Bowl. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our college football odds series, which includes our MTSU-Toledo Bahamas Bowl prediction, odds, pick and more
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the MTSU-Toledo Bahamas Bowl odds:
College Football odds: MTSU-Toledo Bahamas Bowl Odds
MTSU: -10 (-110)
Toledo: +10 (-110)
Over: 50 (-110)
Under: 50 (-110)
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Why MTSU Could Cover the Spread
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders started off the season 1-5, but have reached a 6-6 record to end the year. They finished 4th in the C-USA East division and will kick off the college football bowl season on Friday at noon. The Blue Raiders are coming off a 27-17 win on the road at FAU to end their season. The Blue Raiders totaled 363 yards and forced two turnovers in the victory. As an offensive unit, Middle Tennessee averages 27.9 points and 357.2 yards per game. Quarterback Chase Cunningham finished the season with 1,318 passing yards and 16 touchdowns on 62.5% completion rate. Cunningham is hurt however, so the Blue Raiders will be starting third string quarterback, Nick Vattiato. Wide receiver turned Tight end, Jimmy Marshall leads the receiving corp with 510 yards and six touchdowns.
Defensively, the Blue Raiders lead the nation in takeaways per game (2.4). They allow 26.8 points and 377.1 yards per game to opponents. The Blue Raiders have allowed an average of only 17 points in their last three games of the season. Middle Tennessee has a stout run defense and a takeaway mentality that can get things done in this matchup. Luckily, Toledo leads the nation in interceptions thrown percentage (0.60%). Over their last six games, Middle Tennessee is 4-2 against the spread.
Why Toledo Could Cover the Spread
The Toledo Rockets have won four of their last five games to end their 2021 season. They finished with a 7-5 record and 3rd in the MAC-West division. The Rockets are coming off a 49-14 blowout win against Akron at home. Quarterback Dequan Finn finished the season with 1,855 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes. Running back Bryan Koback leads the ground game with 1,274 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Offensively, Toledo averages 32.8 points and 435.3 yards per game. They have scored 49 points in three of their last four games of the season.
The Rockets have been very solid defensively this year. They rank 13th in opponent yards per play (4.7) and opponent yards per pass (6.2). They allow 22.o points and 348.9 yards per game to opponents. Toledo has allowed only 18 points over the last three games of the season. In its last five games, Toledo is 4-1 against the spread. They will be at an advantage facing a third string quarterback on Friday and if the Rockets can get out to an early lead, the defense may make it a long day for Middle Tennessee’s offense.
Final MTSU-Toledo Bahamas Bowl Prediction & Pick
This is the first game on the college football bowl slate this weekend. The Rockets are coming into this game very hot and the high total suggests that this could be a shootout. Middle Tennessee played better towards the end of their season to get to a .500 record, but with Cunningham out, it will be difficult to produce offensively. Toledo will score their fair share of points, as they have scored 35+ points over their last four regular season games. The question comes down to whether or not the Blue Raiders can keep up offensively. In my opinion, I believe that Toledo will win this game by at least two touchdowns. Therefore, the Rockets will cover the spread on Friday.
Final MTSU-Toledo Pick: Toledo -10 (-110)
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