Cincinnati vs. BYU Prediction, Odds, Trends and Key Players for College Football Week 5
By Josh Yourish
It wasn’t exactly a grand entrance into the Big 12 for either the Cincinnati Bearcats or BYU Cougars last week. Both lost their respective conference openers, Cincinnati to No. 14 Oklahoma 20-6, and BYU to No. 24 Kansas 38-27.
Now, the conference newbies will go head-to-head in Week 5. The Bearcats come into the matchup at 2-2 while BYU is 3-1 and will host this game in Provo. For a deeper look at college football in Week 5 check out BetSided college football betting expert Reed Wallach’s weekly preview and column.
When you’re betting on this matchup, make sure to take advantage of this great promo in the BetMGM Sportsbook. Just sign up with the link below and place a $10 wager on this Big 12 contest between Cincinnati and BYU, then receive $200 in bonus bets instantly.
Cincinnati vs. BYU Odds, Spread and Total
BYU vs. Cincinnati Betting Trends
- BYU is 1-3 ATS
- The OVER is 3-1 in BYU games
- Cincinnati is 2-2 ATS
- The OVER is 3-1 in Cincinnati games
Cincinnati vs. BYU How to Watch
- Date: Friday, September 29
- Time: 10:15 PM EST
- Venue: LaVell Edwards Stadium
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN
- Cincinnati Record: 2-2
- BYU Record: 3-1
Cincinnati vs. BYU Key Players to Watch
Cincinnati
Emory Jones, QB: Last week, Jones wasn’t great as a passer. He completed 22 of 41 attempts for 235 yards and had two interceptions. However, he did lead the team in rushing with 42 yards on 15 attempts. Jones is the second leading rusher on the team this season and has three rushing touchdowns to go with his seven through the air.
BYU
Isaac Rex, TE: There aren’t many teams that have a tight end as their leading receiver, but BYU is one of them. Rex has 17 catches on the year for 260 yards and one touchdown. He has a long of 65 yards and is averaging 15.3 yards per catch, so he’s a legitimate big play threat at 6-foot-6 and 255 lbs.
Cincinnati vs. BYU Prediction and Pick
On the scoreboard, Cincinnati’s offense hasn’t been overly impressive, they’re averaging 30.8 points per game which ranks 59th in the country, but they are 14th in yards per game at 488.0. They are averaging 6.2 yards per play, which is far from dominant, but because of their staggering pace of play (sixth in plays per game), they’re able to consistently outgain their opponents.
Last week, it was turnovers from Emory Jones that hurt their offense and held them to just six points against Oklahoma, but I expect their offense to have a bounce back this week. BYU is allowing 5.3 yards per play which ranks 59th and more importantly they’re giving up 4.1 yards per rush which is 85th.
The run game is very important to Cincinnati with Emory Jones at QB and Corey Kiner next to him in the backfield. Kiner has run for 328 yards this year and is averaging 5.8 yards per carry. The Bearcats are 16th in rushing offense.
Friday night in Provo won’t be an easy place to play, but BYU’s offense should be easy enough to stop. Kedon Slovis and the Cougars offense rank 112th in yards per game and 102nd in yards per play averaging only 5.2. They only average a staggeringly low 61.2 yards on the ground, so a lot is on the shoulder of Slovis and he can’t carry an offense.
Cincinnati is 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games, but they match up very well against BYU, a team that is only 4-6 ATS over their last 10, so I’ll take the Bearcats and the points in Provo.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change