Should Bettors Invest in Minnesota’s Backup Quarterback, Cole Kramer?
The Quick Lane Bowl Betting 2023 Has An Extremely Low Total
The Quick Lane Bowl kicks off this upcoming December, 23rd. We’ve got the latest updates on lines, injuries, departures and weather right here:
Minnesota is the only five-win team that earned a bowl game this season. But that hasn’t stopped oddsmakers from making the Golden Gophers the favorite against a non-power five school in the 2023 Quick Lane Bowl.
The Golden Gophers don’t even have their No. 1 starting quarterback. But as a Big Ten school, they’re favorites against the Bowling Green Falcons.
The Falcons didn’t lose many significant players to the transfer portal. However, they still lost three, including cornerback Jalen Huskey. Huskey was first-team All-MAC and already committed to Maryland for next season.
Bowling Green also won’t have their leading receiver in running back Ta’ron Keith. He added a team-high 44 receptions and earned 66 rushes to combine for just under 900 total yards this season.
On the other hand, Minnesota’s starting quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis, has entered the transfer portal along with the No. 2 quarterback, Drew Viotto. Therefore, Cole Kramer will get the start for Minnesota.
As a senior, Kramer was ready to leave the team and start a family with his fiancee. However, when Minnesota didn’t have a quarterback for the bowl game, Kramer was reportedly thrown $30,000 to play in this game.
The reports state that he will use this money for his wedding with his fiancee.
Besides the two quarterback transfers, Minnesota didn’t lose anyone else to the portal. However, the Golden Gophers still have some potential opt-outs, including safety Tyler Nubin and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford.
Finally, starting running back Darius Taylor was injured at the end of the year. It’s unclear if he’ll suit up for this game after earning 103 carries for 591 yards this season.
The 2023 Quick Lane Bowl opened with Minnesota favored by 5.5 points. However, with the quarterback change, Minnesota is now just a 3.5-point favorite. Minnesota was in the middle of the Big Ten NCAAF standings this season. Minnesota also dropped from -225 to -180, and the total increased from 36.5 to 39.5 since the game opened. That said, the college football odds and predictions show that oddsmakers believe in Minnesota’s talent more in the 2023 Quick Lane Bowl.
Now, check out the rest of the Quick Lane preview, originally published on December 8.
The Quick Lane Bowl will be the only bowl with a five-win team heading the event.
The Minnesota Gophers finished the season 5-7. However, the NCAA needed one more team to fill a spot after not enough teams earned six wins this season.
Therefore, Minnesota got the invitation out of the Big Ten. They’ll take on the Bowling Green Falcons, who finished 7-5 in the MAC this year.
The Falcons finished the season with four wins in their last five games. The only loss was to the MAC runner-up, the Toledo Rockets. On the other hand, the Gophers finished the season with four straight losses, allowing at least 27 points in all four of those games.
That’s unlike Minnesota’s defense.
However, since the Gophers are from a Power-5 conference, Minnesota is a 4.5-point favorite at -105. The total for this game is only at 37.5. (*Note: The line opened at -5.5, and 36.5 on the total. Stay tuned for more line movement.)
Oddsmakers believe this will be a low-scoring NCAA football game. Do we agree?
Check out our Quick Lane Bowl Betting 2023 tips for this early afternoon game on Tuesday, December 26.
Quick Lane Bowl
Bowling Green Falcons vs Minnesota Gophers 
Records: Bowling Green (7-5) at Minnesota (5-7)
Day/Time:
Location: Ford Field
Streaming: ESPN
The Transfer Portal Strikes Again
Keeping good players in the MAC is challenging, especially with the NIL becoming a thing.
Bowling Green already has a lot of NCAAF players on the transfer portal who likely won’t be playing in this bowl game.
The big name is Jalen Huskey, who won the first-team all-MAC honors as the best cornerback on the Falcons.
The sophomore finished with four interceptions and 52 tackles and is now the second player in the secondary to leave for the portal.
Bowling Green Departures & Injuries
The Falcons watched Jalen Huskey follow Deshawn Jones Jr. into the portal. Those were two of the top corners on the team this year.
Meanwhile, quarterback Hayden Timosciek, a preferred walk-on, is leaving and pursuing the tight end position elsewhere.
On the other hand, running back Terion Stewart is questionable with a leg injury. He earned 125 carries for 762 yards this season, averaging 6.1 yards a rush. Bowling Green would struggle without him on the field.
There’s also Finn Hogan, who has been questionable with an undefined injury. He’s got 11 catches for 163 yards this season.
Minnesota’s Down To Quarterback No. 3
Athan Kaliakmanis was one of the more highly regarded quarterbacks that the Minnesota Gophers brought in. However, things didn’t go as planned this season in his first official season as a starter with the Gophers.
He threw for 1,838 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. However, his QBR of 55.1 was the 80th best in college football.
The Star Tribune claims that Kaliakmanis sat down with P.J. Fleck and was told that he wasn’t guaranteed the starting spot at quarterback next year. Therefore, he’s now in the transfer portal.
Meanwhile, freshman Drew Viotto is also leaving. He was a three-star quarterback out of Michigan.
Cole Kramer will likely get the start for the Gophers in this game. He’s a senior who has thrown 14 passes in five seasons with the Gophers.
Minnesota Departures & Injuries
The Gophers have lost Kaliakmanis, Viotto, JJ Guedet on the offensive line, Colton Gregersen on the defensive line, and Zach Jorgensen at wide receiver.
The list continues with Kaliakmanis’ brother, Dino, at wide receiver and running backs Marquese Williams, Max Grand, and Zach Evans.
DB Darius Green and LB Maverick Baranowski are currently questionable for this game with undisclosed NCAA injuries.
No Wonder The Total Is Low!
The Minnesota Gophers will likely rely on Cole Kramer at quarterback for this game against Bowling Green. While he’s been on the team for five seasons, Kramer only has eight completions and 14 passing attempts, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
He understands the system and knows his teammates well. But throwing him into the fire in a bowl game will likely not work for the passing game.
In 2021, Kramer earned some playing time. He threw for 62 yards and two touchdowns on three attempts while rushing for 165 yards on 36 attempts. Kramer can run the football, so that’s something to consider.
Meanwhile, Bowling Green won’t have a couple of their big pieces in the secondary. However, they’ve still given up 137.17 yards on the ground per game. Minnesota’s big up front and will likely handle the Bowling Green defensive line.
We can expect a lot of running from Minnesota in this game. Minnesota’s Darius Taylor led the team in rushing. But he’s a freshman who added 5.7 yards a carry on 103 attempts. He’ll be available for this game, along with sophomore Jordan Nubin.
There likely won’t be much scoring. Minnesota is typically known for its high-end defense. It wasn’t good this year. But against Bowling Green, who averaged under 27 points per game this season, Minnesota should be able to handle the Falcons.
We’ll have NCAA bowl projections for every game this year. While a Bowling Green-Minnesota matchup isn’t the most exciting, there’s still money to be made on the college football betting lines.
How will you bet on this game knowing the Quick Lane Bowl betting 2023 tips for this game?
ForNCAAF betting news, oddsanalysis, and more, visitPoint SpreadsSports Magazine.
