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Boxing Old Dominion Monarchs vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Picks and Prediction: December 18th Preview, Betting Odds and NCAAF Picks
The only Bowl Game of the day happens in Charlotte, NC, which pits the Old Dominion Monarchs and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The Famous Toastery Bowl brings a pair of teams together who are no strangers to each other, this being the eighth time they have met over the last decade.
The Hilltoppers have dominated the series with six wins from the seven meetings, but the line setters have them listed as the underdog this time, which is something we have never seen. Western Kentucky has been listed as the favourites in all seven of the previous meetings with ODU, so what can we expect on Monday night from Charlotte? Let’s find out, as Ej looks to make up for his opening Bowl Game loss on Saturday with a winner on Monday!
- Old Dominion Monarchs vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Picks and Prediction
- Old Dominion Monarchs vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Game Info
- Old Dominion Monarchs vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Lines
- Old Dominion Monarchs vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Trends
- Old Dominion Monarchs vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Stats & Form
- Old Dominion Monarchs vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Where to Watch
- Safer Gambling
OLD DOMINION MONARCHS VS WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS PICKS AND PREDICTION
I am not buying what the line setters are selling on Monday from Charlotte when the Hilltoppers face the Monarchs in the Toastery Bowl. Right out of the gate, I am thinking underdog in this spot, although that did bite me on the bum with Boise State on Saturday.
I’ll start with my take on Old Dominion, and being without Kadarius Calloway presents a problem in the backfield for this offense. Calloway leads the team in rushing with 594 yards, although KeShawn Wicks isn’t far behind with 551 yards on the ground for ODU. Calloway has only played in 8 games this season, and injuries have hampered his entire season. It started when he missed a couple of September games, and he was hurt again which had him sit out of the final regular season game.
I am not convinced that Wicks can carry the load for ODU in the ground game enough to make a big difference and let’s also point out that no wide receiver on the entire Monarchs roster has 500 yards to his credit. Grant Wilson has only accumulated 2,026 passing yards in 11 games, and his wide receiving corps has been dealing with injuries all season too. They’re leading pass-catcher has 496 yards and only 3 TD passes, and Reymello Murphy is only in his first season as a collegiate.
Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed has thrown for over 3,300 passing yards, and his 31 – 11 TD-INT ratio isn’t too shabby either. Reed has connected with Malachi Conley 11 times for TD scores, and with only 37 receiving yards Conley will be a 1000-yard receiver this campaign. I will go on a limb and say he’ll get there in the first quarter!
Elijah Young averages 5 yards a rush, and the entirety of the running back corps takes advantage of an offensive line that can get things done upfront. The Hilltoppers’ offense ranks 19th in the country averaging 286 passing yards per game, and they also rank 7th in the nation averaging over 40 attempts an outing.
I haven’t heard of many players from these two teams leaving early to start planning for next season, as we did already see a lot of that from the first six Bowl Games on Saturday. I expect the Hilltoppers to win this game outright, but if the oddsmakers want to leave me a handful of points to put in my pocket, I will oblige them with a wager!
Odds available as of December 18, 2023. Odds may now differ.
OLD DOMINION MONARCHS VS WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS GAME INFO
- Date: Monday, December 18th
- Time: 17:30 UK Time
- Venue: Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, NC
OLD DOMINION MONARCHS VS WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS BETTING LINES
| Famous Toastery Bowl Betting Lines | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| bet365 Odds | Moneyline | Over/Under | Handicap/Spread |
| Old Dominion | 1.50 | Over 51.5 | Monarchs -5 |
| W. Kentucky | 2.55 | Under 51.5 | Hilltoppers +5 |
OLD DOMINION MONARCHS VS WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS TRENDS
- Western Kentucky has hit the Game Total Over in 4 of their last 7 away games
- The Monarchs are 1 – 5 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.
- The Game Total Over is 4 – 0 in the Hilltoppers’ last 4 neutral site games as an underdog.
OLD DOMINION MONARCHS VS WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS STATS AND FORM
The Hilltoppers scored 119 points over the final four games of the regular season averaging just under 30 points a pop.
Western Kentuck’y’s passing offense ranks 7th in the nation averaging 40.2 attempts per game, and the defense only allows .80 sacks per game which is among the best in the land. That ranks them 3rd in that category, and they rank 4th in yards lost from sacks at only 4.9 yards per sack.
In direct opposition, the ODU offensive line ranks 133rd in the nation allowing 5 sacks per game.
The ODU offense averaged 22.9 PPG this season, and that has them ranked back at 101st in the land.
Old Dominion’s defense ranks 109th in opposing QB completions and 110th in completion percentage.
OLD DOMINION MONARCHS VS WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS WHERE TO WATCH THE FAMOUS ROASTERY BOWL
The Famous Toastery Bowl can be seen on ESPN, and ESPN+ in the United States and abroad.
SAFER GAMBLING
At bettingexpert, we always take a safe approach to gambling. We’ll never bet more than we can afford or chase losses. For more advice, head to our Safer Gambling hub.
