Toledo at Arkansas State

Toledo opens its season in Jonesboro with one returning starter. Senior Austin Parks, who averaged 10.7 points and 5.8 rebounds last year, is the only holdover from a 19-15 team that went 11-7 in the MAC. Three transfers and four freshmen fill out the rest of the rotation. Sean Jones, a Marquette transfer trying to recapture his form from before a knee injury, is the new starting point guard. The Rockets also play three road games in six days to begin the year, and this is the first of them. Arkansas State went 20-12 and 11-7 in the Sun Belt, the same league mark Toledo posted in the MAC, and the Red Wolves are the conference's preseason favorite. Layne Taylor and Tameron Ferguson both made the preseason All-Sun Belt second team. Ryan Pannone is in his second year running the program, so Arkansas State is not breaking in a new head coach. Toledo has a coach in his 17th season, but on the floor it has seven newcomers and a point guard making his first start for the program. I make Arkansas State the right side on the spread tonight, with Toledo's newcomers making their debut together on the road.