Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati Predictions: Week 2 CFB Picks & Preview

Pittsburgh Panthers (1-0 SU, ATS 1-0) vs Cincinnati Bearcats (1-0 SU, ATS 0-0)

Date: 12:00 EST Saturday, September 7th

Location: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

TV: ESPN2

Point Spread: Pit +2.5/Cinci -2.5 (Did you know that you can bet on games at -105?)

Money Line: Pitt +106/UC -128

Over/Under: 62.5

ESPN2 will be covering the week two non-conference matchup between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Cincinnati Bearcats, set to kick off at 12:00 ET from Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. Both teams are 1-0 on the season, and the Bearcats are slight -2.5 point favorites at home. The money line odds are currently sitting at +106 for the Panthers and -128 for the Bearcats, with the over/under line at 62.5 points.

Head-to-Head Matchup:

Last season, the Pittsburgh Panthers and Cincinnati Bearcats did not face off head-to-head. When looking back over the last three times these two teams have played, the Cincinnati Bearcats have the leg up at 2-1. The Cincinnati Bearcats also had the edge vs. the spread in these games, at 2-1. These games averaged a combined total of 57 points per game leading to an over/under record of 3-0.

Pittsburgh Panthers Recent Form:

Pittsburgh is looking to build on their season-opening win after defeating Kent State by a score of 55-24. The Panthers, who were -24 point favorites, not only won but also covered the spread. This game also saw the over hit, with a combined score of 79 points surpassing the 55.5-point over/under line.

Pittsburgh led 14-7 after the first quarter and added another 14 points in the second quarter. Kent State narrowed the gap to 28-14 at halftime, and the Panthers outscored them 14-10 in the third quarter. Heading into the fourth quarter with a score of 42-24, Pittsburgh closed out the game with 13 unanswered points.

In their 55-24 win over Kent State, Pittsburgh’s offense put up 570 yards, with 369 yards coming through the air. Eli Holstein completed 75% of his passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns, ending with a passer rating of 114.17. Kenny Johnson was his top target, catching seven passes for 105 yards.

On the ground, the Panthers ran for 201 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Desmond Reid led the way with 145 yards on 14 carries and added a rushing touchdown.

Pittsburgh’s defense was dominant in their last outing, holding Kent State to just 33 rushing yards on 37 attempts. The Panthers allowed 24 points but limited Kent State to 214 total yards. In the passing game, Pittsburgh gave up 181 yards and two touchdowns, but they also managed to intercept one pass.

Away Injury Report

Cincinnati Bearcats Recent Form:

Cincinnati is off to a strong start this season, moving to 1-0 after a 38-20 win over Towson. This game did not have any betting lines available.

The Bearcats took control early, leading 21-3 after the first quarter. Towson managed to close the gap to 28-17 by halftime, but Cincinnati outscored them 10-3 in the third quarter and held them scoreless in the fourth to secure the win.

Cincinnati’s offense was unstoppable in their last game, racking up 665 total yards and 26 first downs. The ground game was particularly effective, with the Bearcats rushing for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Evan Pryor led the way with 105 yards on just four carries, averaging 26.2 yards per rush and finding the end zone once.

In the passing game, Brendan Sorsby threw for 383 yards, completing 71% of his passes and throwing two touchdowns. Xzavier Henderson was his top target, hauling in seven receptions for 101 yards and a score.

Cincinnati’s defense will be looking to improve after allowing 438 total yards to Towson in their last game. The Bearcats gave up 194 rushing yards on 37 attempts and 244 yards through the air, with Towson completing 21 of 37 passes. Despite these numbers, Cincinnati managed to come out on top, 38-20.

Home Injury Report

Betting Trends

• Across the Pittsburgh Panthers’ last five road games, the team averaged 15 points per game while allowing 35. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 0-5, while going 0-5 straight-up.
• In their last three games at home, the Cincinnati Bearcats have a straight-up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 19 points per game in this stretch.
• The last ten games that Pittsburgh was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 2-8 straight up.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Cincinnati Bearcats have gone 2-8 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 7-3.

Free Pick

Getting Cincy at -2.5 points is a steal, as their offense has a huge edge over Pittsburgh heading into this one. Both defenses are below-average units, but it is the Bearcats that should be able to best take advantage of this mismatch. My pick is to take Cincinnati at -2.5 to cover.