After making it to the MAC Championship a season ago, and winning the league title the year before, Toledo appeared to be in a good position to contend for a conference championship again in 2024.
The Rockets won four of their first five games this season, including a 41-17 victory at Mississippi State. They also defeated Miami (Ohio), which beat Toledo in the MAC title game last year, by 10 points during that stretch.
But then Toledo lost 30-15 at Buffalo, and after beating Northern Illinois, the Rockets lost again at home against Bowling Green. That certainly set Toledo back.
The Rockets won their next two games against Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan, but they lost to eventual MAC champion Ohio in their penultimate game of the regular season. And in their final conference contest of the year, they lost 21-14 at Akron, which was 4-8 this year.
However, Toledo’s season doesn’t have to end with that disappointment. The Rockets will get another chance to play when they take on Pitt in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.
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Pitt vs. Toledo Betting Odds
Pitt is a -7 college football betting odds favorite against Toledo, with the Over/Under being 50.5.
The moneyline for Pitt is -275, while it’s +220 for Toledo.
Pitt vs. Toledo On TV
The matchup between Pitt and Toledo will be televised on ESPN.
The game will kick off at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 26. The contest is taking place at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
Pitt vs. Toledo Prediction
I predict Toledo will win and cover the spread at +7. I also project the game will go Under 50.5 total points.
The Rockets didn’t close out the regular season how they wanted to. And with a few weeks to regroup, I think they’re not only capable of winning – I believe they could earn their second Power Four win of the season.
I specifically think the Rockets will bounce back and triumph because of their defense. They ranked in the top 30 in the FBS with 21.3 points per game allowed while also allowing 352 yards per game.
This season, Pitt was outside of the top 70 in both scoring defense and total defense. The Panthers also struggled during the second half of their season. After starting 7-0 overall, they lost their last five games, and their last three outings were decided by double digits.
So I believe Toledo is in a good position to pull off an upset.
