Indiana will look to keep its undefeated start going as the Hoosiers travel to Cincinnati to take on a Bearcats team that is looking to win its third straight game since a season-opening loss at Arkansas.
Indiana had to make a big comeback last week at home against Western Kentucky, as the Hoosiers were down 24-13 entering the fourth before storming back to win 33-30. Quarterback Connor Bazelak threw for 364 yards and two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was a 4-yard pass to Cam Camper with 47 seconds left to help send the game to overtime.
The Bearcats lost their first game of the season in a very competitive road game at Arkansas but have responded with two consecutive wins of at least 21 points. In the 38-17 victory against Miami (Ohio), quarterback Ben Bryant threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns to help Cincinnati move above .500.
Caesars Sportsbook has listed the Bearcats as a 16.5-point favorite with an over/under of 57.
Let’s take a closer look at the odds and trends:
Indiana Hoosiers at Cincinnati Bearcats
Time/TV: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN
Point spread (from Caesars Sportsbook): Cincinnati -16.5
Money line: Indiana +550, Cincinnati -800
Over/under: 57
Analysis: Indiana has shown the ability to get on a nice run this year but also found itself down double-digits entering the fourth quarter in its last game. While that worked against Western Kentucky, the Bearcats are a different level, and the Hoosiers will need to be ready to go from the very beginning.
One area Indiana must be better is on defense, as the Hoosiers rank 116th out of 131 teams in yards allowed per game (441.0 yards per game). That figures to be a huge advantage for the Bearcats, as Cincinnati’s offense ranks 29th in the NCAA in total offense (480.3).
Cincinnati has looked very good this year, even in the loss to Arkansas. For Indiana, this is its toughest test to date, and this has the makings of a game where Cincinnati could dominate from start to finish.
Prediction: Cincinnati 38, Indiana 21
