Nothing quite says bowl season like a Monday afternoon kick off and that’s what we’ve got as the 7-5 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers of CUSA take on the 6-6 Old Dominion Monarchs of the Sun Bowl in the 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl.
Who ends their season in style when these two former conference foes clash in North Carolina? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Famous Toastery Bowl prediction.
Famous Toastery Bowl Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Famous Toastery Bowl odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Old Dominion -4 - Moneyline
Old Dominion -180, Western Kentucky +150 - Over/Under
52 points - Game time
2:30 p.m. ET - Location
Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, NC - Predicted Weather at Kick
55 degrees, 10 mph winds, cloudy - How To Watch
ESPN, FuboTV
Willing to place a wager on Western Kentucky? Can you make some money on the Monarchs? If you take advantage of the Famous Toastery Bowl odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
Unlike most bowl games in any given season, there is a little bit of recent history between these two teams, and it’s been in Western Kentucky’s favor. The Hilltoppers are 6-1 all-time against their former CUSA foe, winning the last two clashes in 2019 and 2021. Despite this, they enter the game as an underdog by the oddsmakers, something they can overcome.
It should be a tight game with a lot of uncertainties, but the Hilltoppers have the talent to overcome Old Dominion on Monday afternoon. Even if you think the Monarchs can win the game, it might be worth taking Western Kentucky against the spread. Ricky Rahne’s team has failed to cover in every game where they’ve been favored this season.
The total for the game is at 52, and our Famous Toastery Bowl prediction suggests it might not come remotely close to that. The two teams have combined to go 13-11 in favor of the under this season, and with the vast number of opt-outs for both teams, including key offensive components, that trend could continue through the end of this season finale.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Western Kentucky Depth Chart | Old Dominion Depth Chart
- QB Turner Helton, Western Kentucky
- QB Grant Wilson, Old Dominion
- RB Elijah Young, Western Kentucky
- RB Markese Stepp, Western Kentucky
- RB Davion Ervin-Poindexter, Western Kentucky
- RB Keshawn Wicks, Old Dominion
- RB Kadarius Calloway, Old Dominion
- WR Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
- WR Dalvin Smith, Western Kentucky
- WR Easton Messer, Western Kentucky
- WR Isiah Paige, Old Dominion
- WR Reymello Murphy, Old Dominion
- WR Dominic Dutton, Old Dominion
- WR Ahmarian Granger, Old Dominion
- TE River Helms, Western Kentucky
- TE Jalen Butler, Old Dominion
There’s just one college football game on Monday to compile your DFS team. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel’s one-game contests allow you to select four Flex positions from the quarterback, running backs, wide receivers, and tight end positions in one-game slates. One-game slates give you an MVP that scores 1.5x the points of a normal player.
It’d be easier to walk through a maze blindfolded and emerge unscathed than to make your Famous Toastery Bowl picks. There’s an absolute raft of opt-outs — largely due to the transfer portal — that decimate some of the more impactful fantasy football playmakers. Austin Reed would be a no-brainer, but it was announced Saturday that he’s not expected to play.
At the quarterback position, Grant Wilson of Old Dominion leads the team in rushing attempts, which might sway you towards him as a potential dual-threat, but he’s only rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Turner Helton is set to start for Western Kentucky and has completed every pass for 10.3 yards per attempt in a very limited sample size this season.
I’d expect wide receiver Malachi Corley to be heavily targeted, and the “YAC King” should be your MVP without a question. Western Kentucky has given up more touchdowns on the ground than through the air this fall, so consider Kadarius Calloway, who leads the running back rooms with 94.2 fantasy points during the 2023 college football season.
Prediction for the Famous Toastery Bowl
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Famous Toastery Bowl odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction.
Will Western Kentucky get the win on Monday afternoon, or will the Monarchs reign in North Carolina?
Western Kentucky hasn’t been as potent offensively as we’ve seen in recent seasons, and their offense is dealt a massive blow with the news emerging on Saturday night that starting quarterback Reed isn’t expected to play. His replacement, Helton, is played in just three career games with minimal snaps this season against Houston Baptist and Florida International.
Making things more difficult for the Hilltoppers, they face an Old Dominion defense that has got several top-tier playmakers. Jason Henderson has once again been a force at linebacker, leading the team with 170 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. In the secondary, Lamareon James is one of the most talented cornerbacks at the Group of Five level.
The Old Dominion defense has been clearly better than the Western Kentucky unit this season, and the Hilltoppers will be without some of their most productive pieces on that side of the ball. Talique Allen leads the team in tackles and is in the portal, Upton Stout has missed games this season and is also on his way out via the portal.
They’ve allowed 28.2 points per game this season, but can Old Dominion take advantage in the Famous Toastery Bowl? The Monarchs have averaged just 22.9 points per game this year, also ranking 13th out of the 14 Sun Belt teams for total offense. With Western Kentucky still boasting the dangerous Corley, they have enough of an offensive advantage to get the win.
Prediction: Western Kentucky 24, Old Dominion 21