Toledo vs Middle Tennessee Picks and Odds

Bahamas Bowl Betting Preview

WagerTalk college football handicapper Tony Finn offers his Toledo vs Middle Tennessee Bahamas Bowl betting preview. At the time of posting, the Rockets from the MAC have climbed to a 10-point favorite over the Blue Raiders from Conference USA, with the total dropping to 50.5 points.

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Bahamas Bowl	Betting Notes
Point Spread:	Toledo Rockets -10 vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Total:	50.5 Points
Game Time:	12:00pm ET / 9:00am PT on Friday, December 17
Stadium:	Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau
TV:	ESPN

Bahamas Bowl Analysis

The Blue Raiders and Rockets are set to kick off the college football bowl season on Friday at high noon eastern time. The Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas, hosts the Bahama Bowl with a matchup between Middle Tennessee State (6-6, Conference USA) and Toledo (7-5, Mid-American Conference).

Toledo closed the MAC regular season, winning three straight games. The three-game run qualified the Rockets for a bowl invitation. The Rockets finished third in the MAC West with season highlights such as taking Notre Dame to the final seconds of the fourth quarter before eventually falling 32-29 to the Irish.

Toledo found their legs in the final month of the regular season. November saw the Rockets earn three consecutive wins to close their regular-season schedule. As mentioned, the Rockets were arguably the best of the MAC in November. The three straight wins to close the 2021 campaign included two of the three victories on the road.

“They’re very efficient offensively,” MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill told the media in a post-regular season presser, noting how well Toledo controls the ball. “It’s a very balanced team,” added Stockstill.

Middle Tennessee concluded their regular season with a 27-17 victory over Florida Atlantic. The win over the Owls was Middle Tennessee’s sixth of the regular season, qualifying them for a bowl with a 6-6 overall mark this season. The Blue Raiders finished as the fourth-place team in the C-USA East division.

When Middle Tennessee and Toledo kickoff on Friday at noon Eastern Time in Nassau, the game inside of the game will be Middle Tennessee’s season success via generating takeaways versus Toledo’s respect and the value they placed on possession of the ball.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

QB Chase Cunningham completed 62.5% of his attempts for 16 touchdowns with just three interceptions in eight games.
The Blue Raiders average 169.6 passing yards per game (113th in the FBS).
MTSU offense ranked 128th in FBS with an average of 231.0 yards per game
The Blue Raiders rank 126th in the FBS, averaging 3.0 yards per carry. The Rockets allow 3.8.
Middle Tennessee averages 6.9 yards per pass attempt (93rd in the FBS).

Toledo Rockets

The 7-5 record Toledo finished the season with was polished off by a three-game win streak following the loss to Eastern Michigan, including two wins on the road.
Toledo is 7-4 against the spread this season.
The Rockets are 3-2 ATS when favored by 10 points or more this season.
Coach Candle said that his QB room “mimicked” Middle Tennessee’s a bit, in that they’ve played multiple quarterbacks at different points this year, and a certain one provided a spark at the right time.
Redshirt freshman Dequan Finn was a part of all 12 games for Toledo this season. However, he didn’t earn the starting role until the team’s seventh season against Central Michigan.
Finn is that dual-threat enigma that prototypes as an All-American in the college ranks with few spots to fit in at the professional level. Finn is a player that can torture opposing defensive coordinators with his arms and legs.” Finn gained 418 yards on the ground this season with eight rushing touchdowns.
Running back Bryant Koback leads the way in the Rockets rushing attack. The Kentucky transfer was awarded a first-team All-MAC spot after the regular season. Koback finished the season 10th in the country in rushing with 1,274 yards and 15 touchdowns. His 6.71 yards per carry ranked in the top-10 of all FBS running backs.
Slot receiver Devin Maddox (#8) leads the team with 38 receptions and 562 yards.
Toledo’s defensive unit is littered with talented athletes. Desjuan Johnson (All-MAC second team) registered 67 tackles and 12 tackles for loss at outside linebacker.
DL Jamal Hines (first-team All-MAC honors) led the Rockets in tackles for loss (14.5) and sacks (10.0). The 6-3, 250 lbs down lineman’s first-team All-MAC honor this season was a college career third all-conference selection.

Bahamas Bowl Prediction

The three consecutive wins to close the season offers the Rockets a chance to make amends for what they believe was a missed opportunity in 2021, not just to win the MAC Championship but to leave a historical carbon trail of this team in the Toledo Rockets football team archives.

Nassau is known for its December winds. High winds at Thomas Robinson Stadium are not anything new. The weather in the Bahamas can change just like conditions can in the middle-America. This Bowl Preview went to press. The weather forecast for Thomas Robinson Stadium was calling for 20 mph winds and gusts up to 30 mph.

That wind variable favors the Toledo Rockets, who average close to 200 yards rushing per game. The 200 yards per event is done with a 5.3 yards per carry average. The pick for the Bahama Bowl is a play on the Toledo Rockets minus the double-digit game handicap.

After a really impressive 10-2 season, how motivated with BYU be for a trip to Shreveport, Louisiana to face a Conference USA team? Join Drew, Ralph and Adam for the Best Damn College Football Show. https://t.co/bn9ncBOJrR

— WagerTalk (@WagerTalk) December 15, 2021

Bahamas Bowl Preview from The GoldSheet

Neither team has played in a bowl game since 2018. The Blue Raiders already won an elimination game against Florida Atlantic down in Boca Raton to get bowl eligible, while Toledo took care of business against Bowling Green, Ohio and Akron, all conference mates with losing records. MTSU trailed 17-3 at FAU before rallying to get head coach Rick Stockstill his 100th win, but he’s picked up victories in just two of eight bowl games. We’ll see if he can reverse that trend behind dual threat QB Chase Cunningham, who helped salvage the season once NC State transfer Bailey Hochman departed the program, finishing with 16 TD passes and just three interceptions.

The Rockets are fueled by junior RB Bryant Koback, who ran for 1,274 yards this season and was responsible for 18 touchdowns this season. Jason Candle won his first bowl game in his debut at the Bahamas Bowl upon being elevated to the head seat at Toledo but has dropped three straight, losing two of the games by a field goal. Dual-threat QB Dequan Finn has been impressive after taking the reins of the offense and will look to help Koback make inroads against a run defense that ranked 32nd nationally against the run, surrendering 127.7 yards per game.

Bahamas Bowl Video Preview

Winds are typically an issue in Nassau for this tropical bowl location. Which team will be able to establish a successful rushing attack? WagerTalk college football handicappers Dave Cokin, Bryan Leonard and Tony Mejia offer their Bahamas Bowl betting preview.

Bahamas Bowl Stats

College football handicappers Ralph Michaels and JM Sports have put together a 66-page Bowl Betting Guide featuring everything from first quarter scoring to yards per point to plays per minute. Don’t place a bet on the Bahamas Bowl before diving into this FREE download.

WagerTalk Live Odds Screen

WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the moneylines, point spreads, first half lines and betting percentages for all of the college football bowl games, including this Bahamas Bowl showdown between Toledo and Middle Tennessee, from your desktop or phone.

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