South Florida Bulls (3-4 SU, 5-2 ATS) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS)
College Football Week 9
Date and Time: Friday, October 24, 7:00pm EST
Where: Paul Brown Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
TV: ESPN2
by Bob, Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: USF +11/CIN -11
Over/Under Total:59
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Friday night, on ESPN 2, we have a American Conference contest between the South Florida Bulls and the Cincinnati Bearcats. Both teams come in with three wins each overall and both teams already have a conference loss as well. The Bearcats, on paper, appear to be the favorite, but these prime time games are always interesting.
The spread opens with the Bearcats as an 11 point favorite over the Bulls, while the total points are set at 59 points. Against the spread, South Florida has been the most successful team going 5-2 while the Bearcats are just 2-4 when battling the lines in Vegas.
South Florida is a road underdog by 11 points. If you take a look at this team statistically, you would wonder how they even won three games so far this year. They are ranked 107th in passing yards, and are ranked 103rd in rushing yards. Defensively, they are not much better, allowing nearly 30 points per game. South Florida’s schedule has not been tough, and the only two ranked teams they have faced, they lost to. This is just not a good team, plain and simple. If they plan on winning this game, or at least keeping it close, first and foremost, they are going to need to slow down the Cincy pass game. If the Bulls do not D up, this could be a very very long night for them.
The Bearcats are the heavy favorite in this game, even though they are not that great of a team either. Cincinnati comes in at 3-3 overall, and the only aspect of their game that excels is the passing game. Led by Gunner Kiel, the Bearcats are averaging over 322 yards a game, which is good for 12th in the entire nation. The top 15 passing game has also helped Cincy rank in the nations top 40 in points scored. On the defensive side of the ball, these guys need some serious work. They are the 103rd worst scoring defense in the entire country. Cincinnati may be a better team than South Florida, but this game is no given. If the Bearcats defense does not do a better job, they could find themselves in a dog fight to the very end.
Bob’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: It is obvious that I really do not trust either of these teams. They are both as mediocre as you can get overall, and at any given moment, are capable of falling apart. Not only is it hard to gauge which side of this bet to get on, because both teams are pretty average, even the history shows that it is a toss up. The last two years, these teams have split against the spread as well. As we speak though, it appears that 59% of the action is on the side of the home favorite. Here is my deal… Neither of these teams are good, and in my opinion, neither team has the right to be favored by 11 points. This game could get interesting, but I will take my chances on it being a pretty close battle between two “so so” teams. PICK THE SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS +11 POINTS!!!