Ricky Dimon
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Midweek MACtion is always a highlight of every college football year, and we have a postseason version of it as the 2022 bowl season continues on Tuesday. No, it’s not a head-to-head matchup, but both Toledo and Eastern Michigan are taking the field. Toledo vs Liberty in the Boca Raton Bowl is an intriguing nightcap, preceded by an afternoon affair between Eastern Michigan and San Jose State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Let’s take a look at the best bets to make for Tuesday’s college football bowl lineup.
Eastern Michigan +3.5 over San Jose State (-110)
There are plenty of great bowl-game names, and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is certainly right up there with the best of them. Although the 2 participating teams are nothing spectacular, the FIPB figures to be a competitive contest. San Jose State is a small favorite, but there are reasons to think that Eastern Michigan will keep it close if not even win outright. The Eagles closed the regular season by winning 4 of their last 5 games to tie Toledo atop the MAC West Division (lost the tiebreaker). They have also managed to cover the spread in 4 of their last 5 outings.
Meanwhile, San Jose State surged to a 6-2 mark but lost 2 of its last 3 contests to fall out of contention in the Mountain West Conference. Chevan Cordeiro is a very good quarterback for the Spartans, but temperatures will be around freezing and there is a chance of snow so slinging the ball around could be difficult. This could be a ground-and-pound kind of game, which plays into Eastern Michigan’s hands. Let’s go with the Eagles since they are getting more than a field goal.
Check out our full Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State predictions
Toledo –4.5 over Liberty (-115)
Toledo is the MAC champion and another win would really prove just how good this team was during the regular season. The Rockets are averaging more than 32 points per game, consistently blasting off thanks to a robust rushing attack that churned out 236 yards in the MAC title game against Ohio. Also don’t overlook what Toledo is doing on the defensive side of the ball, specifically against the pass. It ranks 15th in the FBS in passing defense and has held its 2 most recent opponents to a combined 27 points.
Liberty’s offense has been inconsistent in 2022, and going up against the Rockets could make for another underwhelming effort. Of the Flames’ 12 regular-season games, they scored 22 points or fewer on 6 occasions. It also doesn’t help that former head coach Hugh Freeze bolted for the Auburn job. Moreover, linebacker Ahmad Walker (3rd on the team with 63 tackles) has already transferred to SMU. This is a great opportunity for Toledo to win and cover.
Check out our full Liberty vs Toledo predictions
Tuesday’s college football bowl best prop bet: Dequan Finn, QB, Toledo, over 57.5 rushing yards (-115)
Finn has exceeded this 57.5 number in 7 of 11 games this season. He has even reached the 70 mark on 5 occasions. The sophomore out of Detroit is coming off a performance against Ohio in the MAC Championship in which he kept the ball a season-high 18 times and turned those attempts into 86 rushing yards while finishing with a modest 154 yards through the air.
In the last 2 games combined, Finn has accumulated just 189 passing yards. He is doing more damage with his feet and that is likely to continue against a Liberty defense that is outstanding against the pass. The Flames are allowing only 200.9 passing yards per game on 6.7 yards per pass attempt and they are #3 in the nation with 41 sacks. Finn will almost certainly be under pressure a fair amount, making him inclined to tuck it and run.
Check out all of our college football bowl predictions
We offer a wide range of College Football Picks and College Football Predictions each week featuring the Power 5 teams and top matchups. Be sure to check out our College Football Best Bets for those top plays on this week’s schedule.
