Dollar General Bowl Betting: Ohio vs. Troy Odds, Analysis and Pick

The last time the Troy Trojans played in a bowl game, six seasons ago, they beat up the Ohio Bobcats in the New Orleans Bowl. The Trojans are back in a bowl this year, and guess who they meet? The Bobcats in the Dollar General Bowl on Dec. 23 in Mobile, Alabama.

Dollar General Bowl point spread: The Trojans opened as five-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark (line updates and matchup report).

College football pick, via OddsShark computer: 32.6-24.6 Trojans (college football picks on every game)

Why the Ohio Bobcats can cover the spread

Ohio started 1-2 this season with a win at Kansas and a close loss at Tennessee. The Bobcats then won six of their next seven games, and a Week 12 victory over Akron gave them the MAC East title. Ohio then gave undefeated Western Michigan a good scare in the conference championship game, losing 29-23 but covering as a 16-point underdog.

The Bobcats trailed the Broncos at the half 23-7 but rallied behind quarterback Greg Windham to pull within 26-23 midway through the fourth quarter. Ohio then drove to the Western Michigan 37-yard line in the final minute, but an interception killed the comeback one score short.

Prior to that defeat, the Bobcats had outrushed each of their previous nine opponents.

Why the Troy Trojans can cover the spread

Troy started 1-1 this year, the loss coming at Clemson by a score of 30-24. The Trojans went toe-to-toe with the Tigers that day and covered easily as five-touchdown underdogs. Troy then embarked upon a seven-game winning streak, knocking off Sun Belt co-champion Appalachian State along the way. However, they lost two of their last three games, including a tough 28-24 decision at Georgia Southern in the season finale.

The Trojans rallied from a 21-10 deficit against the Eagles to take a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter, but they couldn't hang on and missed out on a share of the Sun Belt crown.

Still, Troy has outgained four of its last six opponents, and has outrushed eight of its last 10 foes.

Smart pick

These teams are evenly matched. Their strengths of schedule are close, as are their offensive and defensive rankings. They both enjoyed nice runs through the middle of the season but then lost two of their last three games. It may be the season for giving, but the smart money here on the Vegas lines takes the points.

Betting trends

Troy is 5-0 against the spread in its last five games after losing as a favorite.

The total has gone over in Troy's last five games in the postseason.

Ohio is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games against teams with winning records.

All college football lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.