After finishing the regular season 7-5, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers take on the 6-6 Old Dominion Monarchs as 4.5-point underdogs in a game with a 51.5-point total. Let’s dive into our Western Kentucky-Old Dominion odds, pick and prediction for this year’s Famous Toastery Bowl. If you’re looking for more college football bets, check out our college football betting tools and our guide to betting on football.
Famous Toastery Bowl Pick: Western Kentucky-Old Dominion Bet
Famous Toastery Bowl Odds
Odds via bet365
Western Kentucky: +165 | Old Dominion: -200
Western Kentucky +4.5: -110 | Old Dominion -4.5: -110
Over 51.5: -110 | Under 51.5: -110
Expert: Matt Gajewski
Time: Monday, Dec. 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET
Western Kentucky-Old Dominion News & Notes
Western Kentucky Absences: QB Austin Reed, WR Blue Smith, OL Mark Goode, OL Vincent Murphy, OL Quantavious Leslie, OL Wes Dorsey, S Upton Stout, LB Desmyn Baker, CB Travares Springer, S Talique Allen, S Kendrick Simpkins, LB JaQues Evans
Western Kentucky Coaching Changes: N/A
Old Dominion Absences: WR Jordan Bly, WR Javon Harvey, DL Devin Brandt-Epps, S Terry Jones
Old Dominion Coaching Changes: N/A
Western Kentucky-Old Dominion Comparison
| Metric | Western Kentucky | Old Dominion |
|---|---|---|
| Pace | 44th | 6th |
| Overall Offense | 59th | 124th |
| Run Blocking | 112th | 123rd |
| Pass Blocking | 63rd | 120th |
| Pass Rate | 6th | 78th |
| Overall Defense | 97th | 32nd |
| Run Defense | 123rd | 5th |
| Pass Rush | 87th | 133rd |
| Coverage | 43rd | 59th |
Famous Toastery Bowl Pick & Prediction
This was a disappointing season according to preseason expectations, as Western Kentucky finished 7-5 despite beginning as a co-favorite. Meanwhile, Old Dominion overachieved to reach bowl eligibility after entering the season with a win total at 3.5.
The story of this game begins with Western Kentucky’s absences. Star quarterback Austin Reed will miss this game, as will at least three offensive linemen. Backup quarterback Turner Helton has just eight pass attempts this year and will face one of the better G5 defenses.
On the other side, only one of Old Dominion’s defenders entered the portal. The Monarchs rank 32nd in total defense and will now face an air raid offense quarterbacked by a new face. The Monarchs hung strong against stronger foes and held a similar air raid offense in Georgia Southern to 17 points.
As for the Old Dominion offense, this team plays on thin margins. The offensive line allows pressure on an alarming 34.8% of drop backs. However, Grant Wilson somehow still accounts for positive rushing yards. He also has an acceptable 56.5% completion percentage for 7.0 yards per attempt, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Plus, Keshawn Wicks and Kadarius Calloway combine for over 1,000 yards rushing.
Western Kentucky’s defense will start six new players due to transfers and injuries. It was pathetic before these departures, and this unit has room for further decline after finishing 97th in overall defense on the year. At this point, Old Dominion has taken a considerable amount of money, but it is a surprise that the spread hasn’t moved more.
Famous Toastery Bowl Pick & Prediction and our Western Kentucky-Old Dominion Bet: Old Dominion -4.5 (-110) at bet365
