Category: Cincinnati

College Football Rankings, Season Predictions: American Athletic Conference Spring Version 2022

American Athletic Conference spring football rankings and predictions with best and worst case scenarios for every team

AAC college football rankings and predictions with the realistic best and worst case records and quick analysis – the 2022 spring version.

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As we get into the specifics and all the research coming out of spring football, here’s a first-look spring version of the rankings and thoughts about every American Athletic Conference team.

Cincinnati, UCF, Houston. All three are good enough to be considered the top team in the league coming into 2022, but there’s improvement among several other teams who’ll put up a fight.

The rankings are based on how good the teams should be and not the final projected records. Keeping in mind that this all could/might/will change when we make the final calls in August …

– 2022 College Football Schedules By Teams: All 131 Schools

Cincinnati vs Houston College Basketball Prediction, Game Preview, Lines, How To Watch

Cincinnati vs Houston prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Friday.

Cincinnati vs Houston prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Friday, March 11

Cincinnati vs Houston Game Preview, American Athletic Conference Tournament How To Watch

Date: Friday, March 11
Game Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: Dickes Arena, Fort Worth, TX
How To Watch: ESPN2
Record: Cincinnati (18-14), Houston (26-5)
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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Cincinnati vs East Carolina College Basketball Prediction, Game Preview

Cincinnati vs East Carolina prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Thursday.

Cincinnati vs East Carolina prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Thursday, March 10

Cincinnati vs East Carolina How To Watch

Date: Thursday, March 10
Game Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX
How To Watch: ESPNU
Record: Cincinnati (17-14), East Carolina (15-14)
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– Today’s Best Bet to Lock in Now

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Cincinnati vs East Carolina Game Preview, American Athletic Conference Tournament

Why Cincinnati Will Win

The Bearcats were able to get by East Carolina twice even though it didn’t shoot all that well and didn’t own the boards.

No one in the AAC shoots more threes, but it’s the defense that usually gets the job done … usually.

Cincinnati has lost five straight and seven of the last eight games and nine of the last 13. East Carolina might be playing better than the Bearcats lately, but it’s not shooting well and doesn’t have the offensive pop to keep up if Cincinnati is on from the outside.

ECU has scored 70 or more once since mid-January, it’s lousy at stopping teams from three, and …

– Latest Polls AP | Coaches

Why East Carolina Will Win

Cincinnati has been awful over the last month.

There have been a few bright spots, but the team just can’t shoot. It’s been a minor miracle when it hits 40% from the field. Even though it beat the Pirates when making 35% of its shots, it’s still been brutally cold as it’s become one of the worst shooting teams in college basketball.

East Carolina at least moves the ball around a little bit better and is a bit better on the free throw line. In a game between two teams that can’t shoot a lick, every point will be gold.

– Conference Tournament Game Previews, Predictions

Cincinnati vs East Carolina: What’s Going To Happen

Avert your eyes from the shooting here.

They both average just over 40% from the field on the year, but it’s been a painful grind for either one to hit shots on a consistent basis.

On the plus side, these two are about dead even in terms of production. Cincinnati might be playing far worse than East Carolina is at the moment, but the defense has been slightly stronger.

However, East Carolina will shoot just a wee bit better.

Cincinnati vs East Carolina Prediction, Lines

East Carolina 64, Cincinnati 61
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING
ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING

– CFN Latest NFL Mock Draft: Post-Combine

Must See Rating: 2.5

5: Calvin Ridley’s suspension
1: The NFL bombardment of gambling ads

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2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Cincinnati vs Houston Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview

Cincinnati vs Houston prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Tuesday.

Cincinnati vs Houston prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Tuesday, March 1

Cincinnati vs Houston How To Watch

Date: Tuesday, March 1
Game Time: 9:00 ET
Venue: Fertitta Center, Houston, TX
How To Watch: ESPNU
Record: Cincinnati (17-12), Houston (24-4)
– Sign up and live stream college basketball on ESPN+
– Today’s Best Bet to Lock in Now

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Cincinnati vs Houston Game Preview

Why Cincinnati Will Win

It’s been a rough run lately with five losses in the last six games, but the defense continues to be solid, the offense is moving the ball around well, and no one in the American Athletic Conference shoots more threes.

It’s going to bomb away. It’s just a question of whether or not a few more shots go in.

The Bearcats only hit four of their 20 threes in the 80-58 loss to Houston back in early February, but that was one of their worst shooting days of the year.

Cincinnati has to somehow keep this close, hit a few more threes to put the pressure on, and get Houston to the free throw line. The Cougars only hit 66% on the line.

However …

– Latest Polls AP | Coaches

Why Houston Will Win

Cincinnati hasn’t exactly caught fire offensively since that loss to the Cougars.

Again, its defense is okay, but the shooting has been a disaster from the outside. The O has failed to get past 25% from three in four of the last five games and in seven of the last ten.

Houston isn’t lighting it up outside, either, but it’s making up for it with a whole lot points on the move and a ton of assists and good passes for easy points.

How well are the Cougars moving the ball? They have 20 assists in each of the last two games and lead the AAC overall.

– Top 25 Game Previews, Predictions

What’s Going To Happen

Houston is playing better and better at just the right time, and Cincinnati has picked the wrong time to hit a rough patch. Neither trend will stop here.

The Cougars will hit more threes than they did in the first meeting, but they won’t be consistent enough from the inside and won’t be able to match a few quick Houston runs.

Cincinnati vs Houston Prediction, Lines

Houston 77, Cincinnati 65
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING
ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING

Must See Rating: 3

5: Romy
1: Michelle

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2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Cincinnati Football Schedule 2022: 3 Things To Know

Cincinnati football schedule. The 2022 schedule with 3 things to know

Cincinnati football schedule 2022: Who does Cincinnati miss on the American Athletic Conference schedule and what are 3 things to know?

2022 Cincinnati Football Schedule

Sept 3 at Arkansas

Sept 10 Kennesaw State

Sept 17 vs Miami University (in Cincinnati)

Sept 24 Indiana

Oct 1 at Tulsa

Oct 8 USF

Oct 15 OPEN DATE

Oct 22 at SMU

Oct 29 at UCF

Nov 5 Navy

Nov 12 East Carolina

Nov 19 at Temple

Nov 26 Tulane

2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Cincinnati Football Schedule What To Know: Who do the Bearcats miss from the American Athletic Conference slate?

The American Athletic Conference is getting a tad cheeky. Cincinnati is leaving for the Big 12 after this season, and so is Houston – the two don’t play.

The Bearcats are also missing Memphis, keeping alive the possibility for the conference championship to be between two teams that haven’t played.

On the flip side, the league needs its marquee games, and UC going to UCF is going to be a blast.

Cincinnati Football Schedule What To Know: This might not be the 2021 Cincinnati team, but …

The drama around whether or not Cincinnati can get back to the College Football Playoff will either be launched or ended right out of the gate with a trip to Arkansas. Win that, and look out. Lose, and 2021 was fun.

Of course there could be a slip somewhere along the way, but with Indiana coming to Nippert, it’s all about the dates at Arkansas and UCF. That’s about it – the team likely won’t be the underdog the rest of the way.

Cincinnati Football Schedule What To Know: What does it all really mean?

There’s no real complaint.

The program has never been all that worried about traveling and taking on the big boys – the Arkansas game can’t be in the way if this is going to be another special season.

Indiana should be better, but again, that’s at home. As long as the team can maintain its focus, the two tough road games can actually be a positive. It needs resumé wins if it’s going to push for something massive.

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2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Houston vs Cincinnati Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview

Houston vs Cincinnati prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Sunday.

Houston vs Cincinnati prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Sunday, February 6

Houston vs Cincinnati How To Watch

Date: Saturday, February 6
Game Time: 6:00 ET
Venue: Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati, OH
How To Watch: ESPN2
Record: Houston (19-2), Cincinnati (15-6)
– Sign up and live stream college basketball on ESPN+
– Today’s Best Bet to Lock in Now

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Houston vs Cincinnati Game Preview

Why Houston Will Win

Cincinnati doesn’t shoot well enough or consistently enough from the field.

It’ll jack up a ton of threes, but they aren’t going in lately hating just 13-of-60 over the last two games, and they’re struggling overall from the field averaging under 40%.

It was able to get away with that against a few mediocre teams, but that’s not going to work against the Cougars.

Houston is second in the nation in securing defense, it’s about to come up with few key takeaways here and there, and it’ll do a far better job of getting on the move and overcoming its own shooting woes.

– Latest Polls AP | Coaches

Why Cincinnati Will Win

The Bearcats can play a little bit of D, too.

How are they getting past their relative shooting woes? They’re coming up with a whole bunch of defensive stops, allowing teams to hit around 25% from three over the lsat few games and with no one hitting 40% overall from the field since mid-January.

Houston will get to 40% at least – it’ll get to the rim enough to get several easy buckets – but it’ll get pushed harder than it has been for the last several games.

It’s been a relatively easy run since the win over Oklahoma State back in mid-December, but this could be the first time in a long time it has to fight to get to 70 points.

– Top 25 Game Previews, Predictions

What’s Going To Happen

Houston will get to 70 points.

Cincinnati is struggling too much from the field, and this isn’t the team to go against when you’re trying to bust out of a slump.

How good as the Cougar three-point D been lately? 11-of-66. That’s what teams are hitting, but Cincinnati will keep this close enough throughout to be within range. Once big burst midway through the second half, though, will be just enough to survive.

Houston vs Cincinnati Prediction, Lines

Houston 72, Cincinnati 67
Line: Houston -6, o/u: 131
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5

Must See Rating: 3

5: Ski jumping
1: Olympic Opening Ceremonies

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2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Xavier vs DePaul Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview

Xavier vs DePaul prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Saturday.

Xavier vs DePaul prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Saturday, February 5

Xavier vs DePaul How To Watch

Date: Saturday, February 5
Game Time: 2:00 ET
Venue: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, OH
How To Watch: FS1
Record: DePaul (10-10), Xavier (16-5)
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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Xavier vs DePaul Game Preview

Why DePaul Will Win

DePaul might have a whole slew of problems, but it’s terrific at keeping games low scoring and within range.

There are plenty of blocked shots, and it needs to get to the line a whole lot to  come up with wins.

It only got there eight times in the first meeting, but it was able to keep the came close in a 68-67 loss. It also nailed 11 threes, was strong on the boards, and it moved the ball around better than it had all season long, and …

– Latest Polls AP | Coaches

Why Xavier Will Win

DePaul played about as well as it could’ve in the first meeting and still lost.

There’s no consistency to the offensive sets, the team is painful lately from the field – it hasn’t hit 40% in any of its last four games – and if the three aren’t falling, forget it.

As long as Xavier is able to go on a few scoring bursts and keep the Blue Demons from going lights out on the outside, everything should be okay.

DePaul is 1-8 this season when it scores fewer than 70 points, and …

– Top 25 Game Previews, Predictions

What’s Going To Happen

Xavier is 2-12 when it keeps teams under 70 points, and DePaul isn’t Providence or Villanova – the two that came up with wins.

Coming off two tough wins and a whole lot of battles over the last few weeks, the Musketeers aren’t going to make this too tough. Get off to a decent start, don’t give DePaul a slew of transition points, and get out with a business-like home win.

Xavier vs DePaul Prediction, Lines

Xavier 76, DePaul 64
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING
ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING

Must See Rating: 2

5: One week off before the Super Bowl
1: Two weeks off before the Super Bowl

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2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

College Football Playoff 2021 Bracket: Who Will Be In, Where The 4 Teams Will Go

What will the College Football Playoff bracket be and how will it all shake out?

The College Football Playoff rankings and top four will be out on Sunday. Here’s what’s going to happen and where the teams will go.

College Football Playoff Bracket: What’s Going To Happen

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– NFL Predictions Week 13 | NFL Experts Picks
– College Football Playoff rankings prediction
– Coaches Poll rankings prediction
– AP Top 25 rankings prediction

5. What if Oklahoma State won?

Before diving into what’s going to happen …

The college football world was just a few inches away from an all-timer of a debate.

What if Oklahoma State running back Dezmon Jackson was able to turn the corner a little bit sooner and barreled his way into the end zone to win the Big 12 Championship over Baylor? OSU lost 21-16, by the way, after Jackson came up just short.

Who would’ve been left out of the College Football Playoff bracket with five teams that deserved to be in?

The hypothetical best guess is that Cincinnati probably misses out only because the schedule isn’t that great outside of the win over Notre Dame, and Oklahoma State would have two wins over Baylor – a CFP top ten team – and had the win over an Oklahoma team that was CFP No. 10 at the time.

Let’s just say the committee had a much, much easier night than it could’ve been.

4. Really, do Notre Dame or Baylor have any case?

Not really. No two loss team has ever made it into the College Football Playoff, and Baylor has two losses – one against a mediocre TCU squad. However, the Bears did win a Power Five championship.

Notre Dame’s only case is that it had a slew of solid wins over Power Five teams, but it wouldn’t get in over Cincinnati – the Bearcats won the head-to-head meeting – and it wouldn’t have enough to push out Georgia. The Irish will likely end up No. 5 in the final rankings.

– Bowl Projections: The Final Call

3. Remember, the 2 and 3 spots don’t really matter

There’s no advantage to being the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff instead of the 3. Of course it’s a fun destination to be the higher-ranked team, but unless you’re the 1 playing the 4 – or vice versa – it makes no difference.

However, there’s going to be some debate over whether or not the College Football Playoff committee will want an Alabama vs Georgia rematch of the SEC Championship in the semifinal.

The committee ranks the top four based on how good those four teams are, and it doesn’t worry about the matchup, so there’s a wee bit of a shot that Michigan is 1, Alabama is 2, and Georgia is 3, but …

Nah. It’s not going to happen. And that means …

2. Michigan will be a wee bit ticked off

Oh sure, Michigan is living its best life right now with a win over Ohio State and a Big Ten Championship in the span of a week, but after the euphoria settles down, it’ll be mad when it thinks about what might have been.

Had Georgia beaten Alabama and had Oklahoma State been able to get past Baylor, the Wolverines would’ve had a much, much more favorable matchup against Cincinnati or Oklahoma State in the semifinal instead of likely having to play Georgia.

And so …

1. The College Football Playoff bracket will be …

Be absolutely stunned if it’s not …

1. Alabama. It beat the No. 1 team, did it convincingly, and it got through as the champion of the best conference in college football. Again, there’s a slight case for Michigan at the 1, but it’s not going to happen.

Alabama will almost certainly play in the Orange Bowl on the undercard game against …

4. Cincinnati. There’s no disrespect whatsoever by putting the Bearcats in at the 4. Yeah, it’s unbeaten, and yeah, it beat Notre Dame, but there weren’t any truly great wins over anyone else. It’s a joyous moment for college football – a Group of Five program is in for the first time.

2. Michigan. Again, there’s an argument to be had that it should be the 1 seed, but it’s most likely going to be the 2 and playing in the Cotton Bowl in AT&T Stadium. It’s bigger than the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and the Wolverine fans are going to pack the house with all the tickets that aren’t snapped up by …

3. Georgia. Again, the 2/3 seed doesn’t matter – you don’t get an extra cookie or anything by being the higher seed – and Georgia isn’t going to fall to 4. There’s going to be an energy from the Bulldog fan base that wants another shot at Bama – but don’t be stunned if it gets a rematch of its bowl game last year against Cincinnati.

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– NFL Predictions Week 13 | NFL Experts Picks
– College Football Playoff rankings prediction
– Coaches Poll rankings prediction
– AP Top 25 rankings prediction

5 Best College Football Predictions Against The Spread: Championship Week

5 best predictions against the spread for college football’s Conference Championship Week. Which games appear to be the best bets against the spread?

5 best predictions for college football’s biggest regular season weekend – it’s Championship Week. What games appear to be the best bets and the best picks?

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Championship Week Predictions, Game Previews 
CFN Experts Picks: College
CFN Experts Picks: NFL 
Championship Week Schedule, Game Previews
Bowl Projections: Updated with New Bowl

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Results So Far ATS: 82-60-2

It’s all about the bowl games coming up next – those require an entirely different skillset – but first, we close out with college football’s Championship Week.

There are just 11 games – normally there are 70+ games to pick and choose from – but you don’t care. You just want the magic to happen.

So let’s do this. Be bold. Be brave. Be …

Eh, whatever. I promised five picks, here’s seven, but with a twist.

Thanks so much for being a part of this fun and amazing college football season.

Click on each game for the preview

5. Kent State vs Northern Illinois & Pitt vs Wake Forest point totals

LINE Kent State vs Northern Illinois 74.5, Pitt vs Wake Forest 71.5
Point Total Picks Over

I’m combining these two games together for one simple reason – it goes against everything I believe in.

If you’ve been with this piece all year, hopefully you did alright with the belief system of ALWAYS taking the under on a mid-70s point total, and go crazy if it’s in the high-70s or – if we’ve been good people who deserve something nice – in the 80s.

Too many things have to happen to get to over on a 70+. Bad weather, turnovers, a parachute not opening, it could be anything to keep two offenses from trading haymakers.

That’s why I’ll throw in a polite suggestion of under on the 73 in the Conference USA Championship between UTSA and WKU. Yeah, yeah, yeah they combined for 98 in the first meeting, but that Roadrunner defense will show up just enough to keep Bailey Zappe and friends from going off.

I won’t lie, the MAC Championship scares me because MAC Championships are weird.

They almost NEVER go according to any form or reason, one side always wets the bed and turns it over a gajillion times, and … this should be wild.

Kent State just doesn’t do defense against decent offenses. Forget that these two combined for 99 points in the first meeting, it’s indoors, the Golden Flash offense is going to be even quicker, and one of the two sides should take care of at least 50 of this by itself.

And the ACC Championship? Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman and Pitt’s Kenny Pickett are about to put on a show.

Both defenses are coming off of oddly dominant performances, and Pitt hasn’t allowed more than 30 points in seven of its last nine games, but …

There’s no pressure. There’s no playoff spot on the line. These two are about to let it rip.

I’m doing the combined-pick thing again next, and then come the big calls …

– CFN Championship Week Experts Picks: College

NEXT: College Football Pick Against The Spread No. 4 Georgia vs Alabama, Utah vs Oregon money lines

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

American Athletic Conference Championship: Cincinnati vs Houston Prediction, Game Preview

American Athletic Conference Championship: Cincinnati vs Houston prediction, game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Saturday.

American Athletic Conference Championship: Cincinnati vs Houston prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, December 4

American Athletic Conference Championship: Cincinnati vs Houston How To Watch

Date: Saturday, December 4
Game Time: 4:00 ET
Venue: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
How To Watch: ABC
Record: Cincinnati (12-0), Houston (11-1)
– Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+
– Today’s Best Bet to Lock in Now

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

American Athletic Conference Championship: Cincinnati vs Houston Game Preview

Why Houston Will Win

Shhhhhhhhhh, it’s been a very, very quiet Houston team that’s been able to sneak on through the season with 11 straight wins after dropping the opener to Texas Tech, and now it’s here with more than enough talent to play the spoiler role.

It’s not just about taking the American Athletic Conference title for the Cougars. Win this, and they might get the New Year’s Six bowl slot.

There isn’t that Notre Dame win like Cincinnati has, and there’s not even an Indiana – Houston didn’t beat a Power Five team – but the offense has been able to roll with a whole lot of points, the special teams makes a whole lot of big plays, and the defense is like nothing Cincinnati has seen since South Bend.

This Houston defense can swarm.

It’s amazing against the run – it held everyone but Navy to under 150 yards and allowed fewer than 100 yards in six of the last eight games – the pass rush is a terror, and this group takes the ball away in bunches.

The Cougars lead the American Athletic Conference in turnover margin, they’ve forced multiple takeaways in five of the last eight games, and Cincinnati turns the ball over WAY too often – three giveaways in three of the last four games.

– College Football Expert Picks, Championship Week

Why Cincinnati Will Win

Yeah, Houston has done a whole lot of big things and it’s been building to this point, but …

Houston’s schedule makes Cincinnati’s slate look like the SEC West.

Not to schedule-shame the American Athletic Conference, but Houston has played – according to the official NCAA stats – the second-easiest schedule in college football ahead of only Coastal Carolina.

The best win was over … SMU? Tulsa? There’s not a whole lot of meat on that bone.

No, Cincinnati’s schedule really isn’t that great – everyone knows the problem at this point when it comes to the College Football Playoff discussion – but even with a few close calls against some awful teams, the defense was still a rock when it had to be, the special teams has come up with huge plays to change around games – Indiana and East Carolina were the two biggies – and the offensive line has stepped up as games have gone on.

The Houston offensive line has ben fine. It hasn’t been special, and that could be the big difference against a Cincinnati defensive front that holds up well and should live in the backfield in this.

– NFL Expert Picks, CFN Week 13

What’s Going To Happen

How much will the Houston control matter?

Cincinnati is usually able to get teams to play on its terms, but it never seems to have the ball – time of possession doesn’t seem to mean much to Luke Fickell and this team.

On the flip side, Houston dominates the clock and the pace, keeping the ball for over 33 minutes per game as it makes teams press. Cincinnati will come up with a few mistakes as it tries to make something big happen to keep drives alive.

And then it’ll make something big happen to change the momentum around.

Houston will be deep in this for a full four quarters, but for the second year in a row, Cincinnati – thanks to a brilliant drive from QB Desmond Ridder – will pull out the American Athletic Conference championship in a thriller.

And then it’ll quickly check on what’s happening in the SEC Championship that’s going on at the exact same time.

– College Football Schedule: Championship Week Predictions, Lines

American Athletic Conference Championship: Cincinnati vs Houston Prediction, Lines

Cincinnati 31, Houston 30
Line: Cincinnati -10.5, o/u: 53
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3

Must See Rating: 5

5: The King’s Man
1: CMA Country Christmas

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Championship Week Schedule | CFN Expert Picks
Rankings CFN 1-130 Rankings | AP | Coaches
Bowl Projections, CFP Predictions
Heisman Top Candidates: Who Wants To Win?