The Toledo Rockets (7-5) head to Motown to face the Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) in the GameAbove Sports Bowl (formerly the Quick Lane Bowl). Pitt opened as a -9 point favorite and the line has dropped down to -7 at bet365. The Over/Under total opened at 51.5 and ticked down a half point.
We went back over a decade and after looking very carefully, we can tell you that these teams have not met in over 10 years.
Toledo vs Pittsburgh Odds
Toledo vs Pittsburgh, Dec. 26, 2:00 pm ET
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo Rockets | +7 (-110) | +220 | O51 (-110) |
| Pittsburgh Panthers | -7 (-110) | -270 | U51 (-110) |
Toledo +7.5 (-105)...Money Line...+$220....Over 51.5 (-110)
Pittsburgh -7.5 (-115)...Money Line...-$275......Under 51.5 (-110)
Toledo vs Pittsburgh GameAbove Sports bowl pick
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Both teams come in at 7-5 and but the story of Pittsburgh is very strange. The Panthers opened the season with seven straight wins on the arm of QB Eli Holstein. Eli had completed 180 of 291 (61.8%) for 2,228 yards with 17 TDs and seven INTs. He also was the second leading rusher for Pitt with 328 yards. Then Holstein suffered ankle injury in the game against Syracuse and Pitt DID NOT win a game the rest of the season.
He got the start against Louisville, but left after a sack in the first quarter and did not play in the season finale against Boston College. Nate Yarnell took over against BC and actually had a solid game, hitting on 23 of 42 for 296 yards with three TDs and no INTs. Have not heard yet who will get the start for Pittsburgh, so keep your reading glasses on.
Not only is QB an issue, it looks like the rushing game has totally evaporated. In that season ending game against Boston College, Pitt ran the ball 26 times for a grand total of, are you sitting, TWENTY THREE yards. Had to go to the calculator for that one, and that's an average of 0.9 yards per carry. AIN'T even a STINKIN' YARD! The Panthers No. 1 RB, Desmond Reed, was injured and missed the BC game. Coach Pat Narduzzi said he should be ready to go bowling, but this kid has not even cracked the 100 yard mark in his last five games.
On the other side of the field, Toledo also started out hot, winning three in a row, but then went into yo-yo mode, lose, win, lose, win, lose, win, win, lose, lose. Strange season. The Rockets QB Tucker Gleason, like the rest of the team, has had a mixed bag of tricks. He has completed 207 of 335 passes (61.8%) for 2,457 yards with 22 TDs and seven INTs. Gleason will also lean into the run, averaging eight carries 30 yards per game.
Not gonna name all the names, but it looks like Pitt is gonna have more opt outs/transfers than Toledo. Not sure yet how that will affect the game because there has not been a list of starters. And being totally honest, if we're looking at 40 bowl games, not every one gets an open wallet.
So, if Holstein is healthy and gets the start, we would tickle Pitt. Hold on, breaking news...just heard that Pittsburgh backup QB Yarnell has hit the portal. So, it becomes even more important because if Holstein is down, then we're dealing with a third string QB. And then we would buy the underdog Rockets.
Toledo vs Pittsburgh Betting Trends
- Toledo has covered only two of the last six on the road.
- Toledo has covered four in a row as an underdog.
- Pitt comes in on an 0-5 straight up run and just 1-4 against the spread.
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