Quick Lane Bowl 2021: Nevada vs. Western Michigan

The Quick Lane Bowl features a matchup between the Western Michigan Broncos and the Nevada Wolf Pack. Western Michigan beat Pitt and Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett, but they also finished last in the MAC West. Nevada, meanwhile, will be playing without its head coach and starting quarterback.

Read on to get the college football odds from BetMGM and learn more about this game and how the two teams match up.

2021 Quick Lane Bowl Information

Before we get started on bets for the Quick Lane Bowl, here is what you need to know:

• Date: Monday, December 27
• Game Time: 11:00 A.M. EST
• Venue: Ford Field in Detroit, MI
• Participants: Nevada and Western Michigan

Western Michigan (-6)

These two teams will play at Ford Field in Detroit, just two hours from the Western Michigan campus.

The opening line for this game had Nevada as 6-point favorites. Since then, Nevada lost its head coach and starting quarterback, and the line has moved 12 points in Western Michigan’s direction.

Nevada has a couple of huge holes to fill in this game. First, head coach Jay Norvell left the team after the regular season and is now the coach at Colorado State. In addition, Nevada’s starting quarterback, Carson Strong, has declared for the NFL draft and decided not to play in this bowl game.

Now, Nevada has to face the best defense in the MAC with an interim coach and backup quarterback. During the 2021 regular season, Western Michigan allowed just 338 yards per game. They’re 16th in the nation in passing yards allowed per game (191.8).

I believe that Nevada is in a tough spot in this game. If Nevada decides to keep passing the ball without Carson Strong, the Broncos’ secondary should be able to slow them down. However, running the ball to take pressure off of Strong’s replacement, Nate Cox, may not be much of an option. They rank 129th in rushing yards per game (75.8) and 128th in rushing attempts (25.4). It’s challenging to change the offensive identity of a team after an entire season has played out.

I like the Broncos to cover in this game because of Nevada’s quarterback situation, new coach, and Western Michigan’s pass defense.

Under 56.5 Total Points

These teams averaged more than 30 points per game during the regular season, but as mentioned above, Carson Strong isn’t going to play in this game. Instead, Nevada’s backup quarterback Nate Cox, who appeared in just three games this season, will get the start.

Bettors should also know that Nevada’s interim coach is a former running backs coach, but I doubt they’re going to attempt to change their offense too much for this game. Nevada averaged just 2.9 yards per attempt when rushing this year. Nevada has been far more successful as a pass-first offense.

Meanwhile, I believe that Western Michigan will run the football and attempt to control the clock. They’ve rushed 44.8 times per game this season, which is 9th-most in the nation. They’re 25th in rushing yards per game at 202 and third in time of possession.

I believe that Western Michigan will control the clock, limiting Nevada’s drives and keeping the score low. I also don’t want to rely on a new-look Nevada offense to put up enough points to hit the total in this game, so I’m taking the under.

Previewing the 2021 Quick Lane Bowl

The Quick Lane Bowl is difficult to predict this year. Nevada will start a quarterback who has only thrown 20 passes this year and play with an interim coach.

I like Western Michigan to win easily in a game where they’ll play against an inexperienced quarterback and interim head coach. Michigan sports betting fans can wager on this game by visiting the NCAA odds page at BetMGM. Sign up today and place your bets on all of this season’s bowl action.