Western Kentucky Faces Old Dominion in Famous Toastery Bowl
2023 Famous Toastery Bowl Odds See Favored
The Famous Toastery Bowl kicks off this upcoming Monday, December 18th. We’ve got the latest updates on lines, injuries, departures and weather right here:
There has been little recent movement on the point spread in the Famous Toastery Bowl, as Old Dominion is favored by 3 points. The Monarchs opened as 1-point favorites, but quickly moved to 2.5-point favorites, and now to 3. The total opened at 55 and initially climbed to 55.5, but has dropped down to 54 points.
Western Kentucky is one of the teams which have been hit hard by the transfer portal. The Hilltoppers have had seven key contributors enter the transfer portal, along with several others.
There are growing concerns quarterback Austin Reed could miss the game, along with WR Malachi Corley. Both have NFL potential. But neither are locks to make an NFL roster. If Reed elects to opt-out, redshirt freshman Turner Helton will get the start. Helton has looked good in extremely limited playing time this season.
For Old Dominion, starting safety Terry Jones is one of the recent additions to the transfer portal. He was the team’s third-leading tackler during the season. Leading tackler Jason Henderson has been ruled out with a leg injury. Henderson not only led the Monarchs in tackles and sacks, but he led the nation with 167 tackles. Cornerback LaMareon James is also battling an injury and will be a game-time decision.
The weather in Charlotte is expected to be in the mid-50s and partly cloudy. Winds are expected to be 10 to 15 mph and there is a 15% chance of rain.
Now, check out the rest of the Famous Toastery Bowl preview, originally published on December 8.
Western Kentucky will face Old Dominion in the lone bowl game played on Monday, Dec. 18. This game is technically the Bahamas Bowl, which was moved to Charlotte, N.C., after the renovations to Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau couldn’t be completed in time.
It’s not a marquee matchup by any means, but it could very well turn out to be an entertaining game. The 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl odds show Old Dominion favored by 2.5 points (-115), up slightly after opening as one-point favorites, with a total of 55.5 after opening at 55 points. The Monarchs are -135 on the moneyline after opening at -118.
Hilltoppers vs Monarchs 
Day/Time:
Location: Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
Streaming: ESPN
Eye-Catching, Creative Headline About Visiting Team
The Hilltoppers finished fourth in Conference USA, going 7-5 straight-up this year and 5-3 in conference games. Western Kentucky was just 5-7 against the spread this year.
The Hilltoppers finished the year on a 1-5 ATS run. Despite scoring 29.8 points per game and allowing 28.2, Western Kentucky was 6-6 in totals. The lowest total the Hilltoppers saw this season was 52.5 points. They played six times with totals of 60 or higher.
Western Kentucky is led by quarterback Austin Reed, who threw for more than 3,300 yards with 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Despite 470 pass attempts, Reed was sacked just seven times on the season.
Part of that is decent play on the line, but Reed is also smart enough to know when to throw the ball away. The Hilltoppers were 6-1 when throwing for 280 or more yards, so the passing game makes the team go.
On defense, the Hilltoppers had a few issues. Western Kentucky had trouble stopping the run, allowing 4.7 yards per carry to teams that averaged 4.4 yards per rush. The Hilltoppers were just 1-5 straight-up when allowing more than 160 rushing yards. The pass defense isn’t bad, holding teams to 58.3% passing and 7.0 yards per pass attempt.
The Hilltoppers have now earned a bowl berth in all five seasons under coach Tyson Helton. Western Kentucky has fared well in their previous games under Helton. The college bowl game scores show the Hilltoppers are 3-1 in the first four bowl games. But the 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl Oddssay this game is going to be tough.
Departures & Injuries
So far, the Hilltoppers have 11 players opt out of the NCAAF bowl game by entering the transfer portal. The one that will be felt the most is the departure of linebacker Desmyn Baker, who was the team’s fourth-leading tackler. Baker also had two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
But the Hilltoppers will also be without a pair of key linemen in Wes Dorsey and Vincent Murphy. Together, those two transfer portal losses could loom big.
Monarchs Manage to Become Bowl Eligible
Old Dominion was 4-6 entering the last two games of the season. But the Monarchs managed to win their final two games to reach six victories and get themselves into a college bowl game. It wasn’t pretty, as Old Dominion upset Georgia Southern 20-17 and then edged Georgia State 25-24 as 1.5-point favorites in the final game. The Monarchs finished third in the Sun Belt East, going 5-3 in conference games.
Old Dominion likes to run the football. The Monarchs average 164.5 yards on the ground, which is No. 62 in the college football rankings for rushing yards per game. Old Dominion gains 4.3 yards per carry against teams allowing 4.3 yards per rush.
So, it’s more of a case of the Monarchs running frequently than it is due to the team being exceptionally good at running the ball. The passing offense isn’t anything special. Old Dominion averages 189.2 yards per game against teams allowing 231.4. The team completes just 55.8% of its passes and gains an average of 6.8 yards per attempt against NCAAF teams allowing 7.4 yards on average.
On defense, Old Dominion is a little better than the stats suggest. The Monarchs allowed 27.8 points per game, but their opponents averaged 29.4. Old Dominion is solid at stopping the run, allowing just 3.6 yards per carry. The pass defense was pretty average on the season. The Monarchs allowed 248.6 yards per game.
Old Dominion was 6-6 straight-up, but did finish 7-4 against the point spread. There was no line on the team’s 10-9 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce, although if there was, they wouldn’t have covered. The Monarchs were 5-6 in totals during the season, winding up the year with three straight unders.
Departures & Injuries
A total of five college football players have entered the transfer portal so far and will miss the game. Second-leading receiver Javon Harvey is the biggest contributor. He finished with 29 receptions for 391 yards and tied for the team lead with four TD receptions.
Games Sees Reversal of Favorites
The 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl odds opened Western Kentucky -1 with a total of 55. It didn’t take long for bettors to make Old Dominion the favorite and push the line to Monarchs -2.5 (-115). The total showed just slight movement, climbing a half-point.
Old Dominion gets credit for playing a tougher schedule, so the NCAA bowl odds predictions could see the spread climbing to three, especially if the Hilltoppers lose any more players to the transfer portal.
The Hilltoppers should be able to throw the ball if the offensive line gives Reed time. It was something they did well during the NCAA football season. But with the departures, it could be a little tougher. Having a few weeks to practice should help Western Kentucky.
Old Dominion is going to run the ball, which happens to be Western Kentucky’s biggest weakness on defense.
The 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl Odds are solid numbers that will make bettors have to dig deep to uncover a solid selection.
For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
