The Week 4 meeting between Houston Cougars (1-2) and Cincinnati Bearcats (2-1) is destined to be a pleasant encounter at the Nippert Stadium. Since each side has struggled in their respective season openers, their motivation enters the field through the roof in this one. The Bearcats have the edge in the number of matches won, and in terms of the arena, so they are interested in continuing this trend against the weak Houston team. On the contrary, Houston will try to get rid of their sluggish start and snag an important win apiece on the road. Prepare yourselves for an exciting confrontation in this game, which can be considered the NCAAF series of the season, with free daily NCAAF insights relating to this game.
Houston Cougars vs. Cincinnati Bearcats 9/21/24 Game Info |
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| When: | Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 12:00 PM ET |
| Where: | Nippert Stadium |
| TV: | FS1 |
| Stream: | Sofascore |
Houston Cougars (1-2) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (2-1)
For the Cougars, the season has been disappointing, with one victory to two losses, but there is more to this team professionally. Houston also recently faced Rice and this time, their running back Stacy Sneed was instrumental in the victory, rushing for 118 yards on 20 carries. He was particularly impressive on a 65-yard burst when he added a rushing touchdown. However, in the last game that the Cougars faced Oklahoma, they could not find their footing and lost a close game 16-12.
As for Cincinnati, they began their season well with a 2-1 record and their running game has also been impressive. Corey Kiner has been the cornerstone of their offense with 326 rushing yards on 48 carries with an average of 6.8 yards per carry. He helped a lot during the latest win against Miami (OH), getting 1 TD and adding 40 rushing yards that day. All in all, interesting that in one match which they lost to Pittsburgh, they could not score in the closing stages of the game and lost by a single point, ending the game at 28-27.
Donovan Smith QB vs. Brendan Sorsby QB
This season, Donovan Smith, the quarterback of Houston, has shown moments of brilliance but hasn’t necessarily been consistent. Smith has completed and attempted 51 and 79 passes respectively with passing yards amounting to 537 yards and a passer rating of 122.4. He still had trouble protecting the ball as he only threw 2 passing touchdowns and 3 interceptions, and he’s been sacked 11 times this season already, incurring a deficit of 81 yards in the process. If he reduces the number of turnovers and continues to manage and lead the offense, then the best game of his career might still be ahead of him.
Cincinnati signal-caller, Brendan Sorsby, has turned out to be a treasure this season in putting up very good numbers all over. He has passed for a total of 867 yards, 6 touchdowns and none of them being intercepted for a passer rating of 153, an astonishingly efficient performance. With the combination of Sorsby’s arm strength and decision-making, he is a threat to any defense because he is capable of making every throw and making good decisions. Sorsby, on the other hand, has enjoyed good protection, having been sacked only 5 times considering the number of games already played.
NCAAF Odds/Point Spread: Cincinnati Bearcats -3.5 (-110), Total Odds: 48.5
The Cincinnati Bearcats enter as 3.5-point favorites, and with the total set at 48.5, this game has the potential to be relatively low-scoring given the defensive trends for both teams. With both Houston and Cincinnati seeing their games go under the total more often than not, the under could be a solid play here.
Houston Cougars Betting Trends
Houston has struggled on the road, with the total going UNDER in 4 of their last 5 road games. They’ve also had trouble covering the spread, going 1-5 ATS in their last 6 matchups against Cincinnati. However, their rushing game showed signs of life against Rice, which could give bettors some hope that the Cougars can keep this one close.
Cincinnati Bearcats Betting Trends
Cincinnati’s trends also point towards a lower-scoring game, with the total going UNDER in 4 of their last 6 matchups against Houston. Despite this, Cincinnati is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 home games, which raises some red flags if you’re looking to bet on the spread. Still, their head-to-head success at home against the Cougars makes them a strong pick for the outright win.
Houston Cougars vs. Cincinnati Bearcats 9/21/24 Betting Picks
To sum up, Cincinnati seems to be more favorable to win the game, chiefly because of their very competitive disposition at home. The offense of Houston has some flashes of effectiveness yet looking for consistency within the entire squad as well as Donovan Smith’s carelessness with the ball could spell disaster in this game. Cincinnati is anticipated to employ a power running game and deny the Cougars’ defense any breathing room.
As for the gamblers, the most reasonable scenario appears to be Cincinnati covering the spread of -3.5, while the UNDER 48.5 total looks reasonable with advanced statistical trends in view. If you really need some step-by-step recommendations, check for Expert premium picks and aside from prop bets you will find a lot of useful tips.