Week 11 Gridiron Predictions: Cincinnati vs. Houston Selections

Cincinnati Bearcats (2-7 SU, ATS 2-5) vs Houston Cougars (4-5 SU, ATS 3-3)
Date: Saturday, November 11th
Location: TDECU Stadium, Houston, TX
TV: FS1
Point Spread: Cincinnati +2/Houston -2
Money Line: Cincinnati +110/Houston -134
Over/Under: 55.5

The Cincinnati Bearcats and Houston Cougars matchup in a Big 12 showdown at TDECU Stadium in Houston, TX. The over/under for this matchup is currently 55.5, while Houston is favored by -2.

Head-to-Head Matchup:

Cincinnati and Houston did not meet up last season, but over their last three head-to-head matchups, each team is 1-2. Against the spread, Cincinnati went 2-1. The over/under record in these matchups was 2-1 on an average of 38 points per game.

Cincinnati Bearcats Recent Form:

Cincinnati comes into this game with an overall record of 2-7. In their most recent game, they fell to UCF by a score of 28-26.

Going into the game, Cincinnati was 3.5-point underdogs, and despite the straight-up loss, they did cover the spread. The team’s combined 54 points was not enough to surpass the over/under line of 60.5.

Against UCF, Emory Jones threw for 217 yards on a completion percentage of 72.7%. In the loss, he threw one touchdown and had a passer rating of 100.0.

Corey Kiner led the ground attack for Cincinnati against UCF. He accumulated 114 rushing yards and reached the endzone one time in 19 attempts. The team’s leading receiver was Braden Smith, who contributed one touchdown and caught six balls for 114 yards.

On defense, Cincinnati finished their game against UCF by giving up a total of 394 yards. UCF threw the ball 23 times for 165 vs. Cincinnati. While on the ground, the Bearcats gave up 229 rushing yards. The Bearcats’ defense has given up 140.1 rushing yards per game this season, which is 139th. Opponents are recording an average of 238.7 passing yards, and opposing quarterbacks come in with a passer rating of 94.3 when playing against Cincinnati. In terms of points allowed, they currently sit 36th in NCAA rankings.

Away Injury Report

No Injuries Reported

Houston Cougars Recent Form:

Carrying an overall record of 4-5, Houston is set to take on this game. Their most recent contest ended in a win over Baylor with a final score of 25-24.

Going into the game, the over/under line was 58.5 points, which the teams did not surpass. Against the spread, Houston picked up a win as 2-point underdogs.

Donovan Smith found the endzone in multiple ways against Baylor, throwing for 236 yards and two touchdowns in addition to rushing for one touchdown.

Quarterback Donovan Smith didn’t limit his contribution to passing vs. Baylor; he also ran the ball 20 times for 66 yards in the game. The team’s top receiver was Samuel Brown, who hauled in one touchdown and caught nine balls for 86 yards.

Defensively, Houston allowed a total of 414 yards to Baylor. This includes giving up 151 yards allowed on the ground and 263 passing yards. Defensively, the Cougars defense has come up with 18 sacks this season and are 1st in quarterback hurries. Overall, they are allowing 31.6 points per contest (122nd). Against the pass, they are 146th in the NCAA, having allowed 255.4 passing yards allowed per game. Houston is giving up 160.7 rushing yards per contest.

Home Injury Report

Betting Trends

• Cincinnati are 2-3 Against the spread in their last five games on the road.
• Houston’s ATS record at home (last five) is 2-3.
• Cougars is 3-2 in their last five games as underdogs.
• Cincinnati’s record vs. the spread in their five most recent games as the favorite is 2-3.

Free Pick

The way I’m playing this Cincinnati vs. Houston matchup is taking the over at 55.5 points. Look for this to be a back-and-forth game that comes down to the wire. I expect both offenses to put together some big plays down the stretch in what should be a high-scoring game. I’m going with the over.