Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) vs. Toledo Rockets (7-5)
December 26, 2024 2:00 pm EDT
The Line: Toledo Rockets +7.5 / Pittsburgh Panthers -7.5; Over/Under: +51.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Pitt Panthers and the Toledo Rockets meet in the GameAbove Sports Bowl in college football action from Ford Field on Thursday afternoon. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Toledo vs Pittsburgh Prediction.
Pitt Recap
The Pitt Panthers come into this bowl game at 7-5 on behalf of the ACC. It’s Pitt’s first Bowl appearance since winning the Sun Bowl in 2022.
Panthers Looking To Finish Season On High Note
The Panthers have a lot going on compared to what this roster looked like to close out the year, as Eli Holstein, who was Pitt’s starting QB this season, and starting RB Desmond Reid, both missed the final game of the season because of injury. Coach Pat Narduzzi was optimistic about Reid being ready to go, but was non-committal about Holstein, which is problematic for me here. Pitt is also without top receiver Konata Mumpfield, who opted out and top TE Gavin Bartholomew is a candidate for a potential opt-out. Backup QB Nate Yarnell is in the portal, as well as WR Daejohn Reynolds and DT Nahki Johnson.
Why the Pittsburgh Panthers will win
- Pittsburgh has won each of its last seven Thursday games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Toledo has lost five of its last six games against non-conference opponents at neutral venues.
- Pittsburgh has covered the spread in each of its last four games against non-conference opponents.
- Toledo has failed to cover the spread in five of its last six Bowl games.
Toledo Recap
The Toledo Rockets come into this game looking to build on their 7-5 finish to the season out of the MAC. This will be Toledo’s 4th straight bowl game and The Rockets will be looking for their first bowl win since 2022.
Rockets Looking To Spring Upset In Bowl Game
The roster situation for the Rockets is a lot more promising coming into the bowl game, with potential opt-outs leading the way for the most part. WR Jerjuan Newton and S Maxen Hook would be the biggest missing pieces for Toledo, but at least starting QB Tucker Gleason is good to go in this one which is big for a Toledo team that’s trying to build positive momentum going forward into 2025. The injury concern for Toledo is starting LT Allen Jones missing the regular season finale, but if everyone else is good to go for Toledo, that will be huge for the Rockets in this game.
Why the Toledo Rockets will win
- Toledo has won each of its last seven Thursday games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Pittsburgh has lost each of its last five games.
- Toledo has covered the spread in each of its last five games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Pittsburgh has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five games.
Toledo vs Pittsburgh Prediction
I’m with Toledo here. I think that if Holstein can’t go here, Pitt is in some real trouble, and even if he does play, Pitt finished the year with 5 straight losses after starting the year 7-0. There were a lot of lucky bounces that went Pitt’s way, which kind of makes me wonder if those bounces flipped, if Pitt would even be a 4-win team. The MAC was a lot more competitive than expected this season, and I think Toledo can put a stamp on their season with a cover and potential win here. Give me Toledo.
