NCAA Football
2025-12-17 - Old Dominion Monarchs at South Florida Bulls
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : College Football Cure Bowl
Wednesday 17th December 2025 - Scheduled 5pm
10pm (British Time)
Preview
Despite there being a chance to end the 2025 season with a tenth win, both the South Florida Bulls (9-3) and Old Dominion Monarchs (9-3) enter this Bowl Game with some uncertainty. Key players have decided they will enter the transfer portal meaning they will not risk their health in the Cure Bowl, while the Bulls are also losing Head Coach Alex Golesh.
Three winning seasons in succession has earned Golesh an opportunity with the SEC Auburn Tigers and there is every reason to believe that South Florida Quarter Back Byrum Brown will also leave the team and potentially join the Tigers.
That means Brown will be sitting out in this Bowl Game, although the Quarter Back has stayed with the team and will offer his experience to Gaston Moore, who will be completing his College career.
Gaston Moore does not have a lot of experience leading the Bulls, but he has played some part in his College career and that will help. Being able to listen to Byrum Brown will also be a factor in favour of Moore, although he is facing a Monarchs Defensive unit that helped the team win five games in a row behind domination on this side of the ball.
In saying that, Old Dominion will not have faced too many teams of the strength of the South Florida Bulls, who had been an outsider to make the College Football Playoff after some early successes.
There is a bit more consistency with the Monarchs considering they were able to extend the Head Coach's contract and having produced the best record in almost a decade. Ricky Rahne will be looking to build on the season next time around, although he will be needing to find a new Quarter Back after Colton Joseph announced he will be using the transfer portal and thus also misses this game.
Colton Joseph is a dual-threat Quarter Back and so replacing his production is going to be difficult even if the Monarchs will feel they are facing a Defensive unit that has had some difficulties.
Stopping the run has been the main issue for the Bulls, but that may be easier without needing to keep an eye on someone like Joseph at the Quarter Back position. Quinn Henicle will be the replacement and is pretty inexperienced, although he has shown he can use his legs to move the ball.
However, the Bulls may not respect his ability to throw the ball as much as they would if Colton Joseph was behind Center and that could allow some of the players to move closer to the Line of Scrimmage. Being able to clamp down on the run would make the Bulls the favourites in this game and the feeling is that they have a bit more depth around the backup Quarter Back, which can make the difference on the day.
Prediction
The South Florida Bulls are looking for a third straight season with a Bowl win and they may have the talent to do that.
Lay the points with the favourite in the Cure Bowl.
The Pick :
South Florida Bulls 27-23 Old Dominion Monarchs
