NCAA Football
Rockets - Falcons: University of Toledo - BGSU rivalry history | Battle of I-75 odds and prediction
Bragging rights are on the line for these two Northwest Ohio teams who face each other for the 88th time tonight
The ‘Battle of I-75′ will be played at Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowlling Green, Ohio, just 25 miles south of their rivals from Toledo. Toledo is 9-1 and is looking for revenge after losing last year to the Falcons who come into this game with a 6-4 record on the heals of a big win against Kent State last week (49-19).
The BGSU and UT coaches
Scot Loeffler is in his fifth year with the Falcons and is 2-2 against the Rockets during his time at BGSU. He is still in the process of rebuilding the BGSU football program, but has come a long way since 2019. He knows how much the rivalry means to the Bowling Green community and he wants to use that energy to beat the Rockets at Doyt Perry Stadium: “We talk about this every day. This is a big game for both programs. Both teams are working 365 days a year to play in this and perform well. It’s an exciting rivalry game and that’s what makes college football awesome,” he said.
Jason Candle has been the head coach at the University of Toledo for the last seven years. His record against the Falcons is 4-2. He knows how to win with a record of 54-32, two MAC Championship titles and six bowl appearances. He was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2017 and he’ll have his team ready for the Falcons: “It’s what college football’s all about. It has the feel of a high school rivalry in the sense that it’s so close, the communities are mixed and it’s in your face, it’s hard to avoid,” he said.
History of the Battle of I-75 rivalry
The first time these two teams met was in 1919. Toledo won that first game and has a slight edge in the series: 42-41-4. The University of Toledo won the rivalry nine years in a row from 2010 to 2018, but the two universities have split the wins in their last four meetings.
The rivalry got national attention in 2010 when ESPN2 aired the game that the Rockets won 33-14. In 2022 the Barstool College Football Show went to Toledo and helped give the rivalry some more national attention as fans witnessed the Falcons upset the Rockets 42-35 in the snow.
How to watch the the Battle of I-75
The game will be televised on ESPN2. Kick off is at 7 p.m. ET.
Battle of I-75 odds and prediction
The Rockets are 10-point favorites to win. They haven’t lost since their first game of the season against Illinois and have already earned their way to the MAC Championship. We’ll have to see which version of the Falcons turns up tonight. It’s been up and down for them all season. They lost their first game against Liberty 34-24, beat Eastern Illinois 38-15, played national powerhouse Michigan toe to toe in a 31-6 loss then went on to lose to Ohio University 38-7 the following week. Since then they are 5-1 with their only loss coming to Miami University in a 27-0 shutout. The Falcons have found a way to win in their last four games and can’t be counted out.
The moneyline is Toledo -400, which means you need to bet $400 to win $100. In the case of Bowling Green it’s +300, so $100 will get you $300 if the Falcons win. The spread is Toledo -10 (-110) and BGSU +10 (-110). The over/under is 51.5 (O -110 / U -110).
Our prediction: Falcons 31, Rockets 28.
The team from Bowling Green is playing at home and has momentum. In a rivalry like this anything can happen and we think the Falcons will pull off the surprise in a high scoring game.