MAC Championship Betting Preview: Ohio vs. Toledo Betting Odds, Picks, and Predictions

MAC Championship Betting Preview: Ohio vs. Toledo Betting Odds, Picks, and Predictions

This article is part of our College Football Picks series.

Ohio vs. Toledo Betting Odds, Picks, and Predictions for Conference Championship Week

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Ohio and Toledo meet for the first time this season in a matchup that will decide the champion of the MAC conference. Toledo enters at 7-5 but has struggled down the stretch, losing three of its past five games, all within the conference. Ohio enters at 9-3, with only one conference loss this season. The Bobcats also come in riding a seven-game winning streak. 

Ohio vs. Toledo Betting Odds for Week 14

Spread: Toledo -1.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)

Total: 54.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)

Moneyline: Toledo -128; Ohio +106 (FanDuel Sportsbook)

Let's start with the obvious, how is the team on a seven-game winning streak an underdog to a team that's lost three of its past five games? Well, Ohio QB Kurtis Rourke was lost for the season two weeks ago, which will have a huge impact on this game. It's already had a huge impact on the line as Ohio would undoubtedly be the favorite with Rourke, but as it stands, Toledo enters as the slight favorite. Here's the interesting thing though, Toledo opened at -4.5 and has since been driven down to -1.5. The public believes that Ohio is more than just one player apparently. The total opened much higher as well, but has been bet down to its current number, no doubt a reflection of one team not having its starting QB. 

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Ohio vs. Toledo Betting Picks This Week

There's no question that Ohio has been the better team this season. While playing many of the same teams in conference, Ohio lost just once, while Toledo dropped three games in conference. If the Rourke injury had taken place this past week, I'd be worried about Ohio, but luckily the Bobcats had a full game to see what CJ Harris could do and while he wasn't great, he played well enough to lead them to a comfortable victory over Bowling Green, a team that finished with the same conference record as Toledo. What I am worried about however is the pass defense of Ohio, which yields over 300 yards per game. With that in mind, I don't think Ohio can get much separation, but I do think the Bobcats win this game. As such, I'm taking the 1.5 points and siding with Ohio on the money line as well. With my concerns about the Ohio pass defense, I feel the right play on the total is over 54.5. 

MAC Championship Best Bets: Ohio +3; Ohio +128; Over 54.5

Ohio vs. Toledo Prediction

Since these teams did not meet up in the regular season, there are no adjustments to be made, but Toledo will have to figure out how to handle the new QB for Ohio. The Rockets will have some game tape on Harris, but I doubt Ohio showed everything it had in its most recent game. This might provide an opportunity for the Bobcats to strike early, get a lead and play the game on their terms. The problem is, with its pass defense, Ohio won't be able to coast, the Bobcats will need to keep their foot on the pedal. Harris will do just enough to keep Ohio in the lead all game and the Bobcats will walk away with the MAC Championship. This won't be a shootout, but it won't be a slugfest either, their will be plenty of action. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Greg Vara
Vara is the lead golf writer at RotoWire. He was named the FSWA Golf Writer of the Year in 2005 and 2013. He also picks college football games against the spread in his "College Capper" article.
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