In what will be a series of posts highlighting picks that I think are Ca$h Money, the first one comes tonight courtesy of the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit, Michigan.
This bowl game matches the Toledo Rockets vs. the Florida International Panthers. This is the first bowl trip ever for the panthers, while Toledo has been a notoriously successful in their bowl history. Toledo is also playing only an hour from their campus, a much closer trip than the trek FIU is making from the heat of Miami, making this essentially a home game at Ford Field.
FIU finished the season winning 4 out of 5, but lost their final game of the year. Their signature win was at Troy to earn themselves a a share of the Sun Belt, and they lost 4 consecutive games early in the year to tough non-conference teams.
Toledo finished the season winning 5 out of 6 and overcame the loss of their starting QB to still finish at 8-4. Freshman backup QB Terrance Owens filled in admirably for Sophomore Austin Dantin with a 12-2 TD-to-Int ratio in three starts (2-1). It is unclear which QB will start tonight, but both are very solid options and this uncertainty will only hurt the ability of FIU to gameplan.
Toledo's defense is bad, but they tend to force turnovers, and FIU QB Wesley Carroll is prone to make mistakes. Toledo's offense is balanced and potent, so they should have no problem moving the ball and scoring points. WR/KR Eric Page is a dynamic athlete on the outside for Toledo and you will hear his name many times this evening.
My pick is Toledo +2.5 tonight. I'm taking the points on the team from the better conference playing close to home, and I'm taking them pretty confidently.
UPDATE 12/27 12:20 AM
Final score alert: FIU 34 - Toledo 32
The Rockets used all 2.5 of those points they were given as they lost by 2... but a cover is a cover.
Lil Silly Locks: 1-0
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