Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo 2021 Bahamas Bowl Odds, Preview & Pick

By Carlos Chacon • December 8, 2021

It’s time for a little taste of sand and sun in the dead of winter, as the annual Bahamas Bowl returns to Nassau to kickoff the 2021 college football bowl season. This year, two mid-major programs collide in what should be an entertaining affair east of the Florida Keys.

NitroBetting is ready to equip its bettors with all they need to know about the upcoming college football postseason. This time, let’s take a look at the 2021 Bahamas Bowl matchup between the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and the Toledo Rockets. Find out more about the teams and the key players, event information, the College Football odds, and of course, helpful betting trends and expert betting predictions. Check out for more sports betting odds and lines, exclusively at our online BTC sportsbook.

Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo 2021 Bahamas Bowl Game Information

The 2021 Bowl Season begins in beautiful Nassau Bahamas on Dec. 17th as @ToledoFB takes on @MT_FB in the 7th edition of the Bahamas Bowl!!!#BowlGamesAreBetterInTheBahamas #WEAREBACK pic.twitter.com/xHrNOkoVgp
— Bahamas Bowl (@TheBahamasBowl) November 28, 2021

When: Friday, December 17, 12:00 pm ET
Where: Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, Nassau, The Bahamas
TV: ESPN
Radio: WPRT 102.5 FM (Middle Tennessee) / ESPN 1470 The Ticket (Toledo)
Live Stream: WatchESPN
College Football Odds: Middle Tennessee (+10) / Toledo (-10)

Why Bet on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders?

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders finished the 2021 college football season with a 6-6 record and earned a right to a bowl game largely due to their 34-28 upset of Marshall in Week 5.

The Blue Raiders made their bowl eligibility official during the final game of the regular season after beating the Florida Atlantic Owls, 27-17. They scored 24 unanswered points in that contest, proving that they’re no easy out despite what their record would suggest. Head coach Rick Stockstill, who won his 100th game at the helm of Middle Tennessee that day, has his boys entering The Bahamas with a spirited victory.

Unfortunately, the Blue Raiders don’t have an impressive resume when it comes to bowl games. In eight bowl game appearances under Stockstill, Middle Tennessee has only two victories to show for. MT also hasn’t been at a bowl game since 2018.

Why Bet on the Toledo Rockets?

Over in Ohio, meanwhile, the Toledo Rockets had a strong finish to their regular-season campaign by winning their last three contests; each being double-digit victories to boot. Their latest win, a 49-14 beating of the Akron Zips, was the fifth time that they scored over 40 points this season.

Toledo also has the edge in success against tougher competition, as the team defeated two bowl-eligible programs along the way in Ball State and Western Michigan. The Rockets have a top-50 offense in the FBS, ranking 47th in points scored (34.2 PPG) and 33rd in rushing yards (193.2 RYPG). It goes without saying, though, that they have a competent quarterback center in Dequan Finn, who has 16 passing TDs to just one interception whilst completing nearly 60 percent of his passes.

The Rockets’ defense has been serviceable as well, allowing just an average of 21 points per game to their opponents (27th in the country). Head coach Jason Candle’s last bowl game also took place in Nassau in 2018, but he’ll hope to have a much better showing than his last three bowl-game appearances; all of which resulted in losses. Candle is 1-3 lifetime in Bowl Games, only winning in his rookie season as head coach of Toledo in 2015.

Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo Betting Trends

The Blue Raiders are 4-2 in their last six games (SU/ATS).
The Blue Raiders are 2-5 in their last seven games as underdogs (2-4-1 ATS).
The totals went under in five of Middle Tennessee’s last eight games.
The Rockets are 4-1 over their last five games (SU/ATS).
The Rockets went 5-4 this season in games wherein they were favored to win (SU/ATS).
The totals have gone over in each of Toledo’s last four outings.

Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo Expert Betting Predictions

The odds are certainly stacked against a Middle Tennessee program that has not had a solid win streak all season long and needed a win in the final game of the regular season just to be bowl eligible. Then again, Toledo’s record during said bowl games isn’t very impressive either, which opens the door for the Blue Raiders to pull an upset over the streaking Rockets.

Check out our latest sports betting guides for the 2021 College Football season. Stay tuned for more Football previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Football betting odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.