Carlos Osorio/Associated Press
The Western Michigan Broncos appear to be in a great position to finish their season with a Quick Lane Bowl victory.
The Broncos’ offense is in tact, which is something the Nevada Wolf Pack can’t say after quarterback Carson Strong opted out to focus on the 2022 NFL draft.
Strong is one of the better signal-callers coming out of the collegiate ranks and the lack of his presence in the Nevada offense will significantly hurt the chances of winning in Detroit on Monday.
Western Michigan carries the advantages in location and start time as well. The game is played at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT) and it only had to travel within the state of Michigan.
Nevada faced a cross-country journey and it has the disadvantage of starting a postseason contest without its starting quarterback at 9 a.m. MT, a time it is not used to playing at.
Western Michigan has an edge in a handful of categories, but Nevada still has plenty of talent to be competitive if it plays with the right motivation.
Quick Lane Bowl Info
Date: Monday, December 27
Start Time: 11 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN app or ESPN.com.
Game Odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread: Western Michigan (-7)
Over/Under: 56.5
Money Line: Western Michigan (-255; bet $255 to win $100); Nevada (+205; bet $100 to win $205)
Daily Fantasy Tips
Start With Western Michigan’s Kaleb Eleby
Western Michigan owns the clear advantage in the quarterback matchup with Carson Strong focusing on the NFL draft.
Kaleb Eleby has been one of the most efficient signal-callers at the Group of Five level over the last two seasons.
The sophomore threw for 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his two seasons as Western Michigan’s starting quarterback.
Eleby finished the regular season with 21 scoring throws, five interceptions and a 63.8 completion percentage.
He finished the MAC schedule with a pair of 300-yard passing performances against two bowl qualifiers: the Northern Illinois Huskies and Eastern Michigan Eagles.
Eleby and the WMU offense should feel right at home inside Ford Field and they are expected to put up high totals against a porous Nevada defense.
Nevada allowed 398.3 total yards per game this season. The Wolf Pack gave up 224.2 passing yards and 174.1 rushing yards per contest.
Eleby should be flanked by 1,000-yard rusher Sean Tyler and/or 1,200-yard wide receiver Skyy Moore for daily fantasy football lineups.
The Broncos have a great matchup on paper, and if they exploit it well enough, they will be the highest-scoring team on Monday’s two-game slate.
Run With Nevada’s Toa Taua
Nevada running back Toa Taua will be the reason why the Wolf Pack remains competitive on Monday.
Taua is the team’s leading rusher and one of the most experienced players on the roster now that Strong has departed.
Taua consistently received around 15 touches in the rushing game and he can be used as an asset in the passing game as well.
The senior finished the regular season with 704 rushing yards on 139 carries and 37 receptions for 273 receiving yards.
Taua’s totals are not as high as other top Group of Five running backs because Nevada relied on Strong for a good chunk of its offense. Strong attempted 524 passes.
Nevada could still throw the ball a decent amount, but there are some concerns about what its offense will look like.
Jay Norvell left the Wolf Pack for the head coaching job at Colorado State and his offense centered around the quarterback.
We know for sure that Taua will earn a hefty amount of touches, and if the passing game looks strong, it will come as a nice surprise for a program in transition.
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