BY MARK KERN
Home Field Sports
The Cincinnati Bearcats lost their first game of the season at Arkansas but are unbeaten since, a three-game streak they’ll will look to extend as they hit the road to take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
Cincinnati has been dominant on the offensive end of the football, as the Bearcats have averaged 42.5 points to start the year. Senior quarterback Ben Bryant has been spectacular, tied for 12th nationally in passing touchdowns (11) and tied for 14th in yards passing (1,217). His top target has been Tyler Scott, who has 423 yards and five touchdowns receiving in the first four games.
As good as the quarterback play for the Bearcats has been, Tulsa quarterback Davis Brin has been even better. He is fourth nationally in yards passing (1,318) and tied for eighth in touchdowns (12). However, he was injured during the game against Ole Miss, and his status is day-to-day.
Caesars Sportsbook has listed the Bearcats as a 9.5-point favorite with an over/under of 58.5.
Let’s take a closer look at the odds and trends:
Cincinnati Bearcats at Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Time/TV: 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPNU
Point spread (from Caesars Sportsbook): Cincinnati -9.5
Money line: Cincinnati -345, Tulsa +270
Over/under: 58.5
Analysis: Tulsa showed a lot of heart in last weekend’s 35-27 loss at No. 16 Ole Miss. After finding itself down 35-17 at the half, the Golden Hurricane’s defense responded by shutting the Rebels out in the final two quarters. The offense had three possessions in the fourth quarter with a chance to potentially tie the game but couldn’t get past its own 36.
Cincinnati was expected to take at least a small step back after it lost nine players to the NFL draft from last year’s historic Bearcats team. After losing to Arkansas in a competitive Week 1 game (31-24), Cincinnati has won three consecutive games by at least 21, including last Saturday’s win against Indiana.
Cincinnati has rebounded very well since the season-opening loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Both offenses can score in bunches, but the injury issues of Tulsa at the quarterback position will make things very difficult for the team to keep up with Cincinnati.
Prediction: Cincinnati 42, Tulsa 17
