Sam Avellone
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After a quick Christmas break, bowl season resumes on Thursday with 3 games. The first game of the day will be the GameAbove Sports Bowl in Detroit, which kicks off at 2:00pm ET between the Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) and the Toledo Rockets (7-5). I put together a Same Game Parlay for this one, and am hoping to make it 2 wins in a row after cashing in on the Hawai’i Bowl SGP on Christmas Eve. Let’s get to the picks, and don’t forget to check Pickswise daily for college football predictions for all of the bowl and playoff games.
Desmond Reid (PITT) over 77.5 rushing yards (-117)
Jerjuan Newton (TOL) anytime touchdown (+130)
Pittsburgh vs Toledo Same Game Parlay odds: +320
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook at the time of publishing.
Desmond Reid (PITT) over 77.5 rushing yards (-117)
Desmond Reid missed Pitt’s season finale, but coach Pat Narduzzi mentioned at the time that Reid would be available for the team’s bowl game. Assuming that is the case, I expect the Panthers to rely on him early and often given the predicament they are in at the quarterback position. Starter Eli Holstein is uncertain to play due to injury, and backup Nate Yarnell is in the portal. If Holstein is unable to go, Pitt would turn to freshman David Lynch to lead the offense, but I imagine Reid is going to be heavily involved regardless of whether Holstein plays or not. Reid had at least 11 carries in every game he played in this season, with at least 13 carries in each of his last 4. He averages 5.3 yards per carry, and the matchup against Toledo’s defense is a decent one. For reference, the Rockets rank 64th in PPA per rush allowed since Week 9, and were gashed by Bowling Green’s Terion Stewart and Ohio’s Anthony Tyus III in that stretch.
Read our full prediction for Pittsburgh vs Toledo in the GameAbove Sports Bowl
Jerjuan Newton (TOL) anytime touchdown (+130)
Despite tallying 2 fewer targets than Junior Vandeross III, Jerjuan Newton is Toledo’s go-to receiver. Newton – who has played his entire collegiate career in Toledo – leads the MAC in receiving touchdowns, and he has a great matchup against a Pitt secondary that has struggled at various points of the season. In fact, the Panthers rank 82nd in opposing passing touchdowns and 120th in opposing passing yards per game this season, while sitting outside the top 70 in PPA per pass allowed. Pitt has also given up quite a bit of explosive pass plays, which is something Newton can exploit. In his final game as a Rocket, don’t be surprised if Newton is heavily targeted by quarterback Tucker Gleason – especially in scoring situations.
