Both Troy and Old Dominion own 6-3 records, but each has work to do in order to move up the Sun Belt standings.
The Trojans just had their five-game winning streak snapped in a 23-10 home defeat to Arkansas State, suffering their first conference loss. The Monarchs, meanwhile, bounced back from consecutive road losses to beat Appalachian State and UL-Monroe.
Let’s dive into a Troy vs. Old Dominion prediction and Thursday CFB picks for this Sun Belt showdown, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN at S.B. Ballard Stadium in Norfolk, Virginia. Use PrizePicks CFB to win real-money rewards if your picks are right.
Troy vs. Old Dominion Prediction, Preview for Week 12
In spite of a 4-1 league mark, Troy sits behind James Madison (6-0), Southern Mississippi (5-0) and Coastal Carolina (5-1) for first place in the Sun Belt. Troy lost to Clemson and Memphis in non-conference play prior to their first Sun Belt defeat to Arkansas State two weeks ago.
Old Dominion’s defense yielded 101 points in losses to Marshall and James Madison last month. The Monarchs allowed 27 points in the past two victories, while giving up 7 or fewer points four times this season. Since ODU joined the Sun Belt in 2022, this is the first time that the Monarchs and Trojans are meeting as conference foes.
Troy will play both Tucker Kilcrease and Goose Crowder at QB tonight. Crowder hasn’t suited up since Week 3 against Memphis; Kilcrease has thrown for 1,400 yards this season.
Troy Trojans Preview vs. Old Dominion Monarchs
- The Trojans are 103rd in the nation in offense grade, per Pro Football Focus, while ranking seventh among Sun Belt teams in points scored.
- Troy is 111th overall in rushing yards per game at 121.1 and 125th in rushing yards per attempt at 3.3.
- Prior to scoring only 10 points against Arkansas State, the Trojans put up at least 31 points in each of their previous four games.
Old Dominion Monarchs Preview vs. Troy
- ODU’s top two defensive graded performances at PFF both came at home against Coastal Carolina (47-7) and Liberty (21-7). The three worst defensive grades all occurred in road losses to Marshall (48-24), Indiana (27-14), and James Madison (63-27).
- The Monarchs are 40th in PFF passing offense grade but rank second among Sun Belt squads in that category.
- Old Dominion closed out last season with a pair of home losses, yet they're seeking a 5-0 start at home with a victory over Troy.
Troy vs. Old Dominion Picks & CFB DFS
Below are the top CFB DFS picks for Thursday night’s battle between Troy and Old Dominion.
Old Dominion QB Colton Joseph Projection: 235.5 Passing Yards
- Colton Joseph ranks third in the Sun Belt with 2,231 passing yards and is tied for first in the league with 19 TD passes.
- After getting held to 96 passing yards in the opening-game loss at Indiana, Joseph compiled more than 257 passing yards in five of the next six games.
- In two of the last three games, the sophomore has been limited to less than 231 yards through the air.
- In Joseph’s past two home performances, he has racked up 315 yards against Coastal Carolina and 310 yards in the three-point triumph over Appalachian State.
- Troy has yielded 240 passing yards to two QBs in nine games.
Troy RB Tae Meadows Projection: 63.5 Rushing Yards
- Tae Meadows leads the Trojans with 546 rushing yards, ranking ninth among Sun Belt RBs.
- In the season opener against FCS squad Nichols, Meadows rushed for 186 yards. In the past seven games, he's averaging 51.4 yards per game.
- Since the outburst against Nichols, Meadows has put up at least 66 rushing yards four times while averaging at least 4.7 yards per carry. Three of those games have come on the road.
- Old Dominion ranks 73rd in FF rush defense grade. The Monarchs have allowed at least 90 yards to a RB in three of the last four games.
Old Dominion WR Tre’ Brown Projection: 56.5 Receiving Yards
- Tre' Brown overcame a slow start to the season to eclipse 70+ receiving yards in five of the last six games.
- The sophomore racked up 83 receiving yards in the 31-6 rout of UL-Monroe prior to the bye week.
- Brown has depended on plenty of big plays in spite of a lack of receptions. He has not posted more than 5 catches in a game, but has put up 6 receptions of more than 40 yards.
- Troy has allowed five WRs to compile at least 70 yards in the last four games.
Make Troy vs. Old Dominion Picks on PrizePicks
Thursday’s Sun Belt battle between Troy and Old Dominion is an intriguing matchup, as both teams are trying to move up in the Sun Belt standings.
Ahead of the Troy vs. Old Dominion kickoff, it's time to lock in your CFB picks on PrizePicks. Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in on your predictions if you're right.
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