Pittsburgh Panthers vs Toledo Rockets Matchup

Check out our free Pittsburgh Panthers vs Toledo Rockets pick and preview for this CFB GameAbove Sports Bowl game in Detroit. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this GameAbove Sports Bowl CFB matchup.

ESPN will be covering the matchup between the Pittsburgh Panthers and Toledo Rockets as they face off at Ford Field in Detroit. Kick-off is set for 2:00 ET on Thursday, December 26th. This game is part of the GameAbove Sports Bowl, and even though Pittsburgh is considered the home team, this one is being played on a neutral site. The Panthers are favored by -9.5 points, with the over/under line currently at 51.5 points.

Panthers vs. Rockets Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Pittsburgh Panthers at Toledo Rockets
Where: Detroit at Ford Field
Date: Thursday, December 26th
Betting Odds PITT -9.5, PITT -325 | TOLEDO +260 O/U 51.5

Panthers Preview:

Pittsburgh heads into their Week 1 matchup against Toledo with a 7-5 record. They’ve gone 4-2 at home and 2-3 on the road this season. The Panthers have been favored in five of their 12 games, posting a 4-1 record as the favorite.

Pittsburgh’s ATS record stands at 6-5, with a 4-2 mark at home and 2-3 on the road. They’ve gone 3-2 against the spread as the favorite and 3-3 as the underdog.

The Panthers’ over/under record is 4-7, with their games averaging 58.6 points. Their average over/under line is 57.8 points, and this week’s line is set at 51.5 points.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 11, Pittsburgh’s offense ranks 67th in our college football power rankings. They are 33rd in points per game, scoring 31.8 on average. Their passing game has been their strength, ranking 13th in attempts and 19th in passing yards, with 277.8 yards per game. They are 16th in completions.

Eli Holstein has thrown for 2,228 yards, with 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He has a passer rating of 95 and has completed 61.9% of his passes. Leading receiver Konata Mumpfield has 813 yards and five touchdowns on 52 catches. Pittsburgh is 97th in rushing, averaging 129.1 yards per game.

Panthers Team Defense

Pittsburgh's defense has allowed an average of 26.8 points per game this season, including 34 points in their recent loss to Boston College. They gave up 387 total yards, with 253 passing yards and two passing touchdowns allowed.

Opposing quarterbacks have averaged a 90.7 passer rating and 258.2 passing yards per game against Pittsburgh, completing 61.1% of their passes. On the ground, Pittsburgh's defense ranks 35th nationally, allowing just 118.2 rushing yards per game.

Rockets Preview:

Pittsburgh’s ATS record stands at 6-5, with a 4-2 mark at home and 2-3 on the road. They’ve gone 3-2 against the spread as the favorite and 3-3 as the underdog.

The Panthers’ over/under record is 4-7, with their games averaging 58.6 points. Their average over/under line is 57.8 points, and this week’s line is set at 51.5 points.

Rockets Offense Breakdown

Toledo’s offense is averaging 26.7 points per game, placing them 55th in the nation, and they are ranked 105th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 1. Their passing game has been their strength, ranking 34th in passing attempts and completions, with 246.2 yards per game. They have the 32nd best passer rating in the country.

Quarterback Tucker Gleason has thrown for 2,457 yards and has a passer rating of 97. He has 22 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Jerjuan Newton leads the receivers with 949 yards and 11 touchdowns on 64 catches. Toledo’s run game has struggled, averaging 121.6 yards per game.

Rockets Team Defense

Toledo's defense is ranked 24th nationally, allowing just 21.3 points per game. In their recent game against Akron, they gave up 21 points, including 221 passing yards and two touchdowns, while holding Akron to 107 rushing yards on 34 attempts.

Opponents are averaging 213.8 passing yards per game against Toledo, completing 58.5% of their passes. On the ground, Toledo's defense is giving up 139.9 rushing yards per game on 37.8 attempts.

Panthers vs Rockets Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their ten previous road games, Pittsburgh has an ATS mark of 2-8. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-8 while averaging 19 points per game.
Across their ten previous home games, Toledo has an ATS mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 23 points per game.
Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Toledo has an ATS mark of 4-1 while going 2-3 straight up.
In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Pittsburgh Panthers have a straight up record of 6-4 and an ATS mark of 5-5.