The Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1-1) hosts the No. 10 (Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA Today Sports) Cincinnati Bearcats (3-0) on Saturday afternoon (12 p.m. ET kickoff) at H.A. Chapman Stadium. We analyze the Cincinnati-Tulsa college football betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Cincinnati at Tulsa: Betting odds and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Cincinnati (-154) / Tulsa (+130)
- Against the spread/ATS: Cincinnati -3 (-115) / Tulsa +3 (-106)
- Over/Under: Over 44.5 (-110) / Under 44.5 (-110)
Cincinnati at Tulsa: Three things to know
- In the year of soaring scoring, this contest has a total well under 50. Cincinnati has yielded just 35.7 points through three games, and a highly rated front seven has helped the Bearcats hold foes to just 3.6 rushing yards per attempt. An in that same department, Tulsa has been even better (3.1). Expect the ground games on both sides to try and get inventive with their approach on Saturday.
- The Bearcats won last year’s meeting, 24-13, in Cincinnati. But the Golden Hurricane outgained UC, 377 yards to 317, and three Tulsa fumbles fed a minus-3 in the turnover exchange. Only three of seven total scoring drives in the game were over 50 yards.
- Both quarterbacks bring a healthy dose of experience into this American Athletic Conference battle. Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder is a third-year starter who has thrown for a career-high 199 yards per game in 2020. Tulsa QB Zach Smith is a four-year starter who broke out with a 273.3-yard average a year ago. Smith has thrown for 219.5 yards per contest over the Hurricane’s two games this fall.
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Cincinnati at Tulsa: Odds, betting lines and picks
Prediction
Cincinnati 28, Tulsa 17
Money line (ML)
Cincinnati makes sense as a near-70% proposition in this game. With an implied odds of 60.6% on the -154 tag, the visitors are a solid play on the money line. BET CINCINNATI (-154). New to sports betting? A $15.40 bet on Cincinnati (-154) returns a $10 profit if the Bearcats beat Tulsa.
Against the spread (ATS)
Tulsa’s 2020 record includes a surprisingly close game at Oklahoma State — a 16-7 loss, a COVID-19-protocol-induced postponement, and a 34-6 road victory against a half-decent Central Florida team. Against UCF, the Hurricane actually trailed, 23-5, late in the second quarter.
Cincinnati’s line includes three well-run, game-control efforts. UC’s defense has been tremendous in keeping opponents behind schedule and then forcing them into untenable third-down situations and/or turnovers.
The Bearcats recruit at a higher level than their hosts in this one and by a significant margin. MAKE A PLAY ON CINCINNATI -3 (-115) TO COVER.
Over/Under (O/U)
Both sides carry a load of Under trends into Saturday’s matinee in Tulsa. Good weather is expected, and there is room for a profitable contrarian lean. But the weather forecast also calls for a 19-mile-per-hour wind; perhaps track that weather note, and make a late Over play if warranted.
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