The 2015 Quick Lane Bowl is set to host Central Michigan and Minnesota this afternoon. The Chippewas and Golden Gophers may not be two teams on everyone's radar, but this one has some serious upset potential. You can find all of the info you need including the live stream link, TV schedule, betting lines, a preview and prediction below.
Game Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
TV Channel: ESPN2
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Betting Line: -5 MINN; 48 O/U
As you can see above, Minnesota is just 5-7 this year. The Gophers were one of a few below-six-win teams. Suffice to say, they struggled this past season, and it's understandable.
Halfway through the year or so, head coach Jerry Kill announced his immediate retirement. It was a surprise, but not totally unexpected as one of the most successful Minnesota coaches in the program's history -- though the time was brief -- has been dealing with some serious medical issues both off and on the field. Epilepsy is a scary proposition, especially for a man who is out there in the public eye each game with emotions likely running high at certain times.
Unfortunately, the team just isn't that talented. So even though you could say they definitely have added motivation for their former coach, that can only go so far.
Nevertheless, they are five-point favorites. This may be one of the better bowl games to place your bets on.
Central Michigan has had some recent bowl success themselves, winning two out of the last three between 2009-2014. Despite being from a lesser conference than Minnesota, the Chippewas won't be afraid heading into this battle.
A No. 54-ranked offense to go along with No. 17-ranked defense is no small accomplishment, especially when considering this team is historically an offensive juggernaut. Instead, the defense is what truly carries the team this season, and Minnesota's offense has been, well, an enigma for most of the year. Central Michigan has a real shot to win outright in this battle.
Prediction: Central Michigan 24, Minnesota 17
