The 2021 CFB season goes on with Week 8 matchups around the country, so we have prepared the best Western Michigan vs. Toledo betting pick and odds for Saturday, October 23, when the Broncos and Rockets lock horns at Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio.

According to Bovada Sportsbook, the Broncos are small 1.5-point road favorites to win this Mid-American Conference showdown. Last year, Western Michigan overcame a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Toledo as a 1-point home fave, 41-38.

The Broncos dropped 64 points on Kent State

The Western Michigan Broncos (5-2; 4-2-1 ATS) bounced back from a heavy 45-20 home loss to Ball State and thrashed off the Kent State Golden Flashes 64-31 as 7-point home favorites this past Saturday. It was their fifth win in the last six outings at any location, as the Broncos improved to 2-1 in the conference play.

Western Michigan racked up a whopping 648 total yards against the Golden Flashes, surrendering 362 in a return. Sophomore QB Kaleb Eleby tossed for 307 yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore RB Sean Tyler added 17 carries for 169 yards and a TD.

Eleby is enjoying a nice season and has already thrown for 1,745 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just a couple of interceptions. The Broncos are scoring 31.0 points per game (tied-47th in the country) on 437.4 total yards (44th) while surrendering 26.3 points (74th) on 319.4 total yards in a return (27th).

The Rockets dropped two games in a row

The Toledo Rockets (3-4; 3-4 ATS) are coming off a tough 26-23 overtime loss at Central Michigan last Saturday. They rallied from a 14-point third-quarter deficit just to surrender the Chippewas a winning field goal in overtime.

Freshman QB Dequan Finn got sacked seven times and completed only 15 of his 32 passing attempts for 208 yards. He still sparkled the Rockets’ comeback with a couple of touchdowns on his own. Toledo finished with 142 rushing yards on 44 attempts, while the Rockets’ D held the Chippewas to 124 rushing yards and 204 through the air.

It was Toledo’s second straight defeat. Back in Week 6, the Rockets lost to Northern Illinois as 13-point home favorites, while they were listed as five-point road favorites at Central Michigan. Toledo is now 1-2 in the conference play and sits bottom of the West Division.

Trends:

Western Michigan:

  • 4-1-1 ATS in the last six games overall
  • 3-1-1 ATS in the last five outings as favorites

Toledo:

  • 7-13 ATS in the last 20 games overall
  • 0-5 ATS in the last five games at home
  • 3-11 ATS in the last 14 outings as underdogs

Western Michigan vs. Toledo Pick

The Rockets will lean on their defense to slow down the Broncos. Toledo allows only 18.7 points per game (tied-16th in the country) on 143.6 rushing yards (63rd) and 173.0 passing yards (13th). They haven’t yielded more than 26 points since Week 2, but the Rockets’ offense is a big issue. Toledo scores 27.7 points per contest (tied-74th) while converting only 32.3 percent of its 3rd downs and racking up just 386.4 total yards (77th).

This game could easily go either way, so forget about the spread and go with the moneyline odds. I’m looking for the Broncos’ offense to make the difference.

Pick: Take Western Michigan at -120           

The Total:

Toledo’s last five games went in the under. As I’ve mentioned, the Rockets are struggling to put points on the scoreboard, but their defense is certainly capable of slowing down the Broncos’ prolific offense.

Western Michigan’s defense has done a solid job so far this season, but it’s still inconsistent. The Broncos rank ninth in the country in sacks (23) and sixth in opposition 3rd down conversion (28.0%), so they should be fine against the Rockets.

Pick: Go under 54.5 points at -110