GameAbove Sports Bowl Preview: Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Toledo Rockets

The Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) will take on the Toledo Rockets (7-5) in an intense matchup for the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Thursday, December 26 at 2:00 PM ET. Check out this college football betting matchup, where the Panthers are favored with a point spread at -6.5 (-115).

Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Preview

The Panthers have lost their last five games and have some of the worst momentum you could ask for heading into a bowl game. Their latest defeat was a 34-23 performance against the Boston College Eagles.

They were down 20-10 at the half and could not recover in the second, as the Eagles were also one step ahead of them on the scoreboard. Nate Yarnell completed 23 of his 42 passes for 296 yards and accumulated three touchdowns, but also had one bad interception.

Each team had similar stats on paper when comparing total yards and first downs. The Panthers did have two turnovers and only had possession of the ball for just over 24 minutes.

The Panthers are producing 31.8 points a game and rank 40th in the country. Defensively they have allowed 26.8 points a game from opponents, ranking 82nd. While this is a solid difference, their stats have not looked good over their last five games.

Toledo Rockets Betting Preview

The Rockets have lost their last two games and have allowed at least 21 points in this stretch for both games. Their most recent loss was a 21-14 overtime thriller against the Akron Zips.

This marked an 11-year period where the Zips were finally able to beat the Rockets. The Rockets were down 14-0 in the mid-fourth quarter before storming back with a 14-point performance. Tucker Gleason completed 33 of 44 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

They put up 465 yards, 30 first downs, and turned it over once. On defense they allowed the Zips to get 328 yards and 18 first downs. If they would have taken better care of the ball, this game likely would have gone their way.

The Rockets are 75th in the nation for getting 26.4 points a game. Their defense has given up 21.3 points a game and ranks 32nd. This margin of victory is solid, but their offense must accumulate more early in the game to have a shot at winning.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie has the GameAbove Sports Bowl betting odds ready for you, showing the Panthers as 6.5-point favorites. Market analysis indicates the Panthers have a 69.6 percent chance at winning.

It is difficult to have a lot of faith in the Panthers with their losing streak, but they did have losses against a couple of teams inside the top-25. However, they have had a tougher schedule and should be able to pull this out with experience.

Final Pick: Pittsburgh Panthers -6.5 (-115)