The Old Dominion Monarchs take on the USF Bulls in the 2025 Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.
USF is favored by 2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -142. Old Dominion, meanwhile, enters as a +2.5 underdog and is +120 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 52.5 total points.
Here’s my Old Dominion vs. USF prediction and college football picks for Wednesday, December 17.
Old Dominion vs USF Prediction
- Old Dominion vs. USF Pick: Old Dominion ML +120
My USF vs. Old Dominion best bet is on the Monarchs to win outright. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Old Dominion vs USF Odds
| Old Dominion Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -105 | 52.5 -108o / -112u | +120 |
| USF Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -115 | 52.5 -108o / -112u | -142 |
- Old Dominion vs USF Spread: USF -2.5, Old Dominion +2.5
- Old Dominion vs USF Over/Under: 52.5 Points
- Old Dominion vs USF Moneyline: Old Dominion +120, USF -142
Old Dominion vs USF Cure Bowl Preview
Old Dominion Monarchs Betting Preview: ODU Heating Up
Old Dominion comes in having won its last five games to end the season. A bowl win would create positive momentum going into next year for Ricky Rahne and the Monarchs.
I was really impressed with ODU this season — especially when it comes to how it competed against Power 4 opponents like Indiana and Virginia Tech early in the 2025 slate.
Surprisingly, this group hasn't won a bowl game during Rahne’s tenure, and I expect that to add to be the motivational edge for ODU in this game.
With quarterback Colton Joseph opting out and hitting the portal, the Monarchs turn to Quinn Henicle to lead the offensive platoon.
Henicle is a running quarterback who has averaged five yards per carry in limited action this season and ran for 278 yards and three scores last year. He should add a dynamic to the run game that will allow ODU to have success running the ball.
Running backs Trequan Jones and Devin Roche have 1,266 yards between them, so I expect a fairly rush-heavy approach from Old Dominion in this one.
Defensively, the Monarchs are peaking at the right time. In fact, ODU held each of its last four opponents under 300 total yards and allowed only 26 combined points in those four games.
The front seven is nasty and can apply pressure to make life uncomfortable for opposing quarterbacks in a variety of ways. ODU registered 35 sacks and 82 tackles for loss this season, and this defense saw seven different players register at least three sacks.
Expect unique blitz packages and varying fronts, which will create problems for a patchwork USF offensive line.
South Florida Bulls Betting Preview: New Team in Cure Bowl
USF had a heck of a start to the season, as the Bulls made national noise in defeating Boise State and Florida to open the 2025 campaign.
They mowed through the first half of their AAC slate, but road trips to Memphis and Denton proved to be costly.
USF head coach Alex Golesh parlayed the success of his Tampa tenure into an SEC job, and now defensive line coach Kevin Patrick will serve as the interim before Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline takes over at the conclusion of the season.
The major concern for USF is that several offensive weapons are injured or have/are likely to opt out of this bowl game.
Quarterback Byrum Brown has already pulled the plug, and the Bulls will be without wide receivers Chas Nimrod and Christian Neptune on the outside.
There are likely 3-4 starting defenders who will also bow out, so don't expect this South Florida team to look like the squad we saw most of the season.
Old Dominion vs USF Pick, Betting Analysis
This line opened USF -7.5 with a total of 55.5. We've seen one-way action on the Monarchs all week, given the personnel issues for South Florida, along with the coaching staff changes. I agree with that move.
Old Dominion is going to run the football. The Monarchs averaged 5.7 yards per carry this season, ranking seventh nationally. ODU was excellent in registering explosive rushes, as the offensive line routinely got to the second level of the defense to produce rushing lanes for the running backs or Joseph.
Henicle will be able to duplicate Joseph's success running the football, which will be critical in this matchup.
Henicle isn't as strong a passer as Joseph, but I trust the ODU receivers to create separation and make catches to extend drives.
Plus, they may be doing so against the second team defense for USF. The Bulls have several key pieces either injured or likely to opt out, both in the front seven and the secondary.
I just don’t see why USF would be motivated to show up here, given the coaching change and its shortcomings compared to preseason expectations.
I want to back the team that wants to be here, and a victory for ODU would really go a long way in continuing to build momentum under Rahne, who has yet to win a bowl in his tenure with the Monarchs.
I like ODU to win this game outright, and I have bet it on the moneyline.
Pick: Old Dominion ML +120
