The Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) face off against the Toledo Rockets (7-5) on Thursday, December 26th. This game will be played at Ford Field in Detroit and televised on ESPN. Both Pittsburgh and Toledo will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 ET.

Pittsburgh Panthers vs Toledo Rockets

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Pittsburgh Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 11, Pittsburgh’s offense is averaging 31.8 points per game, ranking 33rd in college football. Our power rankings place them 67th. They have leaned heavily on their passing game, ranking 13th in passing attempts and 19th in passing yards, with 277.8 yards per game. Their third-down conversion rate is 37.8%, and they are 97th in rushing, averaging 129.1 yards per game.

Eli Holstein leads the passing attack with 2,228 yards and 17 touchdowns, though he has thrown seven interceptions. His passer rating is 95, and the team’s completion rate is 60.9%. Desmond Reid has rushed for 797 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry. Konata Mumpfield has 813 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 52 catches.

Toledo Offense Breakdown

Toledo’s offense has been driven by their passing game, ranking 34th in both passing attempts and completions per game. They are averaging 246.2 yards per game through the air, and their quarterback, Tucker Gleason, has thrown for 2,457 yards with a passer rating of 97. Overall, Toledo is 55th in scoring, putting up 26.7 points per game, and they are ranked 105th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 1.

Gleason has thrown 22 touchdowns and 7 interceptions this season. Jerjuan Newton has been his top target, catching 64 passes for 949 yards and 11 touchdowns. On the ground, Toledo is averaging 121.6 rushing yards per game. Connor Walendzak leads the team with 457 rushing yards, averaging 3 yards per carry, and has scored one touchdown.

Pittsburgh Team Defense

Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed an average of 26.8 points per game this season, including 34 points in their recent 34-23 loss to Boston College. In that game, they gave up 387 total yards, with 253 passing yards and two passing touchdowns allowed.

Opponents have averaged 258.2 passing yards per game against Pittsburgh, completing 61.1% of their passes. On the ground, Pittsburgh’s defense has been stronger, ranking 35th nationally by allowing just 118.2 rushing yards per game.

Pittsburgh Team Defense

Toledo’s defense has been solid this season, allowing 21.3 points per game, which ranks 24th nationally. 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.

Opponents have averaged 213.8 passing yards per game against Toledo, completing 58.5% of their passes. On the ground, Toledo has allowed 139.9 rushing yards per game on 37.8 attempts.

Pittsburgh vs Toledo Trends

• Across their three previous road games, Pittsburgh has an ATS mark of 0-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 19 points per game.
• Across the Toledo Rockets last ten home games, the team averaged 23 points per game while allowing 20. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 5-5, while going 6-4 straight-up.
• Through their last three games as the underdog, the Toledo Rockets have an ATS record of 3-0 and a straight up mark of 2-1.
• The Pittsburgh Panthers have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 4-1 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.

Panthers vs Rockets Prediction

We have Toledo winning this week one matchup against Pittsburgh by a score of 25-23. Toledo comes into this game as +9.5 point underdogs, and we like their chances to cover the spread.

With the over/under line sitting at 51.5 points, our projection of 48 combined points suggests that taking the under is the best play.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.