Houston Cougars vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Preview
Where: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati
When: Thursday, September 15, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Houston Cougars (-8) at Cincinnati Bearcats (+8) – view all NCAA Football odds and lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Writer’s Pick: Cincinnati (+8)
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Betting on the Houston Cougars (-8)
The Houston Cougars stretched their unbeaten run to two games with a resounding 42-0 victory over the Lamar Cardinals on Saturday. Houston’s running game took center stage in this contest as they piled up a whopping 381 yards on the ground. Three players topped 100 yards rushing for the Cougars, namely: Kevrin Justice (111 yards and two scores), freshman Mulbah Car (109 yards and a touchdown) and Kyle Postma (career-high 106 yards with two touchdowns). Houston achieved that feat for the first time in 42 years. Postma stepped up big time in the absence of starting quarterback Greg Ward Jr. who was sidelined with an injured right shoulder.
Houston will look to make it three wins in a row when they take on Cincinnati in their AAC opener this coming Thursday. The Cougars will have their work cut out for them, however, against a Cincinnati defense that has surrendered just 13.5 points per game this season. That’s the 21st-best mark in the FBS this year.
The good news for the Cougars is that Ward is expected to make a swift return for this crunch conference clash. He completed 23 of 40 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns in Houston’s upset victory over Oklahoma. Ward powered Houston to a famous 33-30 victory over Cincinnati last season, completing 16 of 24 passes for 161 yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions.
The Cougars are 8-2 SU and 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Betting on the Cincinnati Bearcats (+8)
The Cincinnati Bearcats will head to their AAC showdown with Houston with momentum on their side after trouncing the Purdue Boilermakers, 38-20, on Saturday. It was another impressive victory for the Bearcats who won a road game against a Big Ten Conference opponent for the first time since 1957. The Tigers have won their first two games by an average of 19.5 points.
Key to Cincinnati’s strong start has been their excellent play on the defensive end. The Bearcats are tops in the FBS in interceptions with seven to their name this season. The Bearcats recorded five picks against Purdue on Saturday, three of which were converted into touchdowns. Linebacker Mike Tyson starred for the Cincinnati defense in this game, nabbing a career-high three interceptions.
For the Bearcats to preserve their unbeaten record against the Cougars, they will need to quickly establish their ground game this coming Thursday. Cincinnati rushed for 262 yards in the win against Purdue. The Bearcats improved to 10-0 under head coach Tommy Tuberville when rushing for 200 or more yards. They also improved to 13-0 over the past three-plus seasons when rushing for more yards than their opponents. They will need to be at their best, though, against a Cincinnati defensive line that has surrendered just one rushing touchdown this season.
That being said, the Bearcats will still fancy their chances against the Cougars as they have fared extremely well against Houston of late. They have won five of their last six meetings with the Cougars. Houston is 4-1-1 ATS during this span.
The Bearcats are 7-3 SU and 3-6-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Houston wins but Cincinnati covers (+8).
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