Western Michigan vs. Nevada Quick Lane Bowl college football odds: Carson Strong's uncertain status causes spread to plummet

Easily the biggest spread move so far among the 42 bowl games has been for the Monday, Dec. 27 Quick Lane Bowl from Detroit between Mid-American Conference school Western Michigan (7-5) and Nevada (8-4) of the Mountain West. The Wolf Pack opened as 6.5-point favorites at Caesars Sportsbook but are now just -1 because it's not clear if star quarterback Carson Strong will play.

Strong should be a 2022 NFL first-round draft pick who has been dealing with a knee issue all season following off-season arthroscopic surgery. Strong is expected to decide this week whether he will play vs. WMU or rest up and starting preparing for pre-draft workouts, etc. Most believe he will not play – clearly oddsmakers think that.

"I don't know for sure if I'm going to play in the game or not," he said recently. I really want to, but I also have to listen to the people around me, my family and the people that I trust. You know, it just comes down to, 'Is it the right decision for me?' I really do want to play in the bowl game. I want to finish the season strong with my teammates, but I also need to think about my future and how I can get the most healthy for the Senior Bowl and the (NFL) Combine and Pro Day and everything like that. I don't know for sure yet. I would love to play in the game, but we'll see."

Strong was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, becoming the fifth player in conference history to earn the honor in back-to-back campaigns. Strong finished the regular season with 4,175 yards passing (sixth in nation) and 36 TDs (also sixth). His completion percentage of 70 ranks seventh nationally. Strong might be the first QB taken in the 2022 draft. 

Nevada will also be without head coach Jay Norvell for the bowl as he took the Colorado State job. Running backs coach Vai Taua is the interim head coach. Taua was inducted into the Wolf Pack's Hall of Fame this season following his excellent career at Nevada as a running back from 2006-10. Nevada offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Matt Mumme has served as the team's associate head coach for the last two seasons. It's not clear as of this writing if he will go to Colorado State as well.

This will be the first-ever Quick Lane Bowl appearance for Nevada and its first-ever meeting vs. Western Michigan. The Broncos also have an excellent QB in Kaleb Eleby, who was second-team All-MAC. He will be playing.

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