The East Carolina Pirates (7-4, 5-2 AAC) have turned their 2021 campaign around, rolling off four wins in a row (and four of five since their bye, with their lone loss coming at Houston in overtime). Their last win came at Navy, where they eked out a 38-35 win over the Midshipmen. Their regular season finale brings the Cincinnati Bearcats (11-0, 7-0 AAC) team to town in a game that the Bearcats must not overlook ahead of the American Athletic Conference Championship game against Houston and a potential slot in the College Football Playoff. The Bearcats walloped SMU on national television last week, 48-14, and moved into the top four of the CFP committee rankings this week, the first non-Power 5 team ever to do so.
Let’s take a closer look at your best online college football betting choices for this game.
NCAAF Preview: Cincinnati Bearcats at East Carolina Pirates (Friday, November 26)
When: Saturday, November 27, 2021, 3:30 pm ET
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
TV: FOX
Radio: WXTB 97.9 FM Tampa / WFNI 107.5 FM Indianapolis
Live Stream: Hulu
NCAAF Odds: Cincinnati -14 / O/U 57.5 // Cincinnati -600 / East Carolina +425
Why should you bet on the Bearcats?
Cincinnati’s offense continues to pile up the points, scoring 40 points per game behind the play of Desmond Ridder, who has thrown for 2,699 yards and 25 touchdowns on the season. His top two targets are Tyler Scott and Alec Pierce, who have combined for 1,082 receiving yards, and tailback Jerome Ford has run for 966 yards and 16 scores this season.
The defense has been equally impressive this season, holding opponents to 16 points per contest. Malik Vann and Curtis Brooks have combined for eight sacks, and Joel Dublanko leads the team with 89 tackles from the linebacker position. Coby Bryant has intercepted three passes and defended 11 passes, and Bryan Cook and Arquon Bush have four picks between them.
Interestingly, the Bearcats are just 6-5 against the spread this season, but when they play a team with a winning record, they are 4-0 ATS. They have also done well for bettors on the road, going 6-1 ATS in their last seven away games facing a team with a winning record at home. I don’t see Cincinnati letting up on the gas, and the Bearcats just shut down an SMU team that also has a nationally ranked offense.
Why should you put your money on the Pirates?
The story of East Carolina’s success this season is its offense, as the unit puts up 31.2 points per game. Holton Ahlers has thrown for 2,901 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, and tailbacks Keaton Mitchell and Rahjai Harris have run for 1,630 combined yards and 13 touchdowns, as the Pirates run for 171.5 yards per game. Ahlers’ favorite targets have been Audie Omotosho and C.J. Johnson, who have combined to gain 1,754 receiving yards and score eight touchdowns.
The problem for East Carolina is their defense, a unit permitting 25.5 points per game. The secondary has been decent, with Malik Fleming and Ja’Quan McMillian combining for seven picks and 23 passes defended. However, the front seven has a difficult time applying pressure on the quarterback, with no one posting more than three sacks this year. Linebackers Myles Berry and Bruce Bivens have combined for 104 tacklets, but those have largely come against the running game, and the Pirates have gotten torched in the secondary at times.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
Cincinnati has maintained focus throughout national attention on their program, as their wins have gotten more scrutiny than the sort of scares that the likes of Alabama have managed to escape. I see them pulling away from East Carolina late, with a final score of Cincinnati 37, East Caroina 20.
Cincinnati Bearcats at East Carolina Pirates: Bet the Game Today
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