The Houston Cougars (2-2, 2-1 AAC) visit the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-0, 3-0) Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff. Below, we analyze the Houston-Cincinnati college football betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
The Bearcats are No. 6 in the Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Houston at Cincinnati: Betting odds and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 6:56 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Houston +400 (bet $100 to win $400) | Cincinnati -556 (bet $556 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Houston +13.5 (-110) | Cincinnati -13.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 54 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Houston at Cincinnati: Three things to know
- Houston got waylaid at home by a 44-21 count last weekend against visiting UCF, and the Cougars are now a dismal 1-2 SU/ATS while protecting their home turf. They won their only road offering, covering a 14.5-point spread with a 37-21 victory at Navy (Oct. 24) as the Over hit. Last week’s Under result – the O/U line was 82 vs. UCF – was Houston’s first in four games this season.
- The Bearcats have brought a lot of excitement to the ‘Nati, proving that the Buckeyes aren’t the only national contender in the great state of Ohio. They whipped up on Memphis 49-10, and have won each of their four home games by at least 14 points. However, Cincinnati is a marginal 2-2 ATS in four home games.
- Cincinnati ranks 17th in the nation with 217.8 rushing yards per game, and is 14th with 39.6 PPG. Defensively, the Bearcats are allowing just 306.2 yards per game to rank 18th, they’re 10th in rushing defense (97.0 YPG) and eighth in points allowed with 12.0 PPG.
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Houston at Cincinnati: Odds, prediction, betting lines and picks
Prediction
Cincinnati 41, Houston 23
Money line (ML)
Cincinnati (-556) is humming right along, but you can’t risk more than five and a half times your potential return. Over the long haul, that’s a losing strategy unless you’re including it in multi-team parlays. AVOID.
Against the spread (ATS)
CINCINNATI -13.5 (-110) is worth laying the points, even though the Bearcats are so-so against the number at home this season. Houston +13.5 (-110) did cover in its only road game to date, but that was against a dismal, one-dimensional Navy side. The Cougars showed last week that they’re no match for a powerful offense, as UCF picked them apart. Look for more of the same from the ‘Cats.
Over/Under (O/U)
Bet the OVER 54 (-110) lightly in this AAC matchup. The Bearcats have hit the Over in just two of their five games this season, splitting in four home dates. The Cougars have hit the Over in three of four games, including their only road date. Houston is allowing 34.8 PPG while scoring 33.3 PPG on offense. The Cougars are usually involved in high-scoring games and this one will be no different.
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