The Cincinnati Bearcats (7-0, 3-0 AAC) continue their quest to become the first Group of Five team to qualify for the College Football Playoff with a trip to New Orleans to take on the Tulane Green Wave (1-6, 0-3 AAC). Tulane last played last Thursday in Dallas, losing, 55-26 to SMU on national television. Cincinnati escaped Annapolis on Saturday with a 27-20 win over a Navy team that befuddles the opposition with its triple-option offense.
Let’s take a closer look at your best online college football betting choices for this matchup.
NCAAF Preview: #2 Cincinnati at Tulane (Saturday, October 30)
When: Saturday, October 30, 2021, 12:00 pm ET
Where: Yulman Stadium, New Orleans
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Bearcats Sports Radio / Tulane IMG Sports Network
Live Stream: Hulu
NCAA Odds: Cincinnati -24.5 / O/U 62 // Cincinnati -3500 / Tulane +1300
Why should you bet on the Bearcats?
Cincinnati has been perfect on the road since December 2019, and one reason has been the steady play of quarterback Desmond Ridder. On the season, he has a 15:3 TD:INT ratio, with a 63.6 percent completion rate. He has thrown for 1,620 yards on the season, and Michael Young Jr leads the team with 17 catches. Alec Pierce and Tyler Scott have caught six touchdown passes between them. On the ground, Cincinnati puts up 185 yards per game, led by 799 yards and 13 scores from Jerome Ford.
On defense, Cincinnati permits just 14.6 points per game. Joel Dublanko is the Bearcats’ top tackler with 58. Arquon Bush leads the team with three interceptions, and Darrian Beavers is the sack leader with three. Cincinnati has covered in four of their last five games overall and in five of their last seven games away from home. Tulane has not covered in five straight games, but they have covered in 20 of 27 home games. In this rivalry, Cincinnati has covered in four of the last five meetings.
Why should you put your money on the Green Wave?
Tulane has an opportunistic offense and has a way of sneaking up on teams that come down to New Orleans to play. Some of this might have to do with the distractions of playing so close to the French Quarter and all of its nightlife — particularly with an early Saturday start for this game. However, the Tulane defense is not its usual self this season, ranked 128th among FBS programs in scoring defense and total defense. Teams are averaging 42.3 points and 494.7 yards per game against the Green Wave, and if they can’t shore things up, Cincinnati will score all night long.
In their last six home games, Tulane has gone 4-2 — and they pushed Oklahoma hard in a close loss in the season opener. Quarterback Michael Pratt has a 16:5 TD:INT ratio, with 1,598 yards and a 59 percent completion percentage. Tyrick James and Duece Watts have caught five touchdown passes between them. Cameron Carroll leads the Green Wave in rushing with 352 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
The biggest question in this game, as far as that point spread is concerned, is the health of Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt. He took a thunderous hit in the waning minutes of last Thursday’s game at SMU and remains in the concussion protocol. At this writing, his status for Saturday’s game is unknown. If he cannot play, Cincinnati should win and cover easily. If he does play, Tulane has a better shot of mounting some drives and eating enough clock and putting enough points on the board to stay within 3 ½ touchdowns. If he does play, I’m more inclined to take the over than pick a side on the spread. If he cannot play, expect the spread to expand quickly once the news is posted.
#2 Cincinnati at Tulane | Bet the Game Now!
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