Week 1: Toledo vs LIU 9/1/22 College Football Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Toledo Rockets and LIU Sharks square off Thursday in week 1 college football action from the Glass Bowl. LIU is coming off a rough season, finishing 2-8 overall with a 2-5 mark in NEC play. As for Toledo, they went 7-6 overall, but ultimately fell in the Bahamas Bowl. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place. 

LIU couldn’t find much success last year, going 2-8 overall and 2-5 in the NEC. The Sharks would finish just one spot out of the basement in the conference standings with that record, ahead of only Wagner at 0-7. 

LIU started out with some tricky matchups and stumbled to an 0-5 record. In that quintet the Sharks scored just 32 points total. The good news is that LIU managed wins over Central Connecticut and Wagner before finishing off the year with three more losses. 

Over on the Toledo side, they were able to find a bit of success in 2021. The Rockets went 7-6 overall and 5-3 in MAC play. That result put Toledo in third place in the West Division. The Rockets’ season ended on a sour note with a loss in the Bahamas Bowl, however. 

Toledo started their season out at a shaky 4-3, but got better as the year wore on. The Rockets finished with a 4-1 record across their last five regular-season games. In the Bahamas Bowl, Toledo eventually lost 31-24 to Middle Tennessee in a tough result.

PICK: I’m likely staying with Toledo here, but the line’s too thick to mess with. The Rockets were a frustrating team in 2021, losing five games by a touchdown or less. The Toledo offense does lose a handful of key playmakers this season, but hopes are high with Dequan Finn under center. Two starters are gone from the offensive line, but the Rockets should have a good group to block for Jacquez Stuart and Micah Kelly—that duo combined to average 5.4 yards per carry and 564 yards. All things considered, LIU shouldn’t be much of a problem for Toledo on paper at least.