Cincinnati Bearcats vs Houston Cougars Matchup

With kick-off set for 12:00 ET, the Cincinnati Bearcats will be hosting the Houston Cougars at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. The game will be broadcast on FS1, and Cincinnati enters the matchup as the -3.5 point favorite. The over/under line is currently set at 48.5 points. The money line odds are +145 for Houston and -175 for Cincinnati. The Cougars are 1-2 on the season, while the Bearcats are 2-1.

Cougars vs. Bearcats Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Houston Cougars at Cincinnati Bearcats
Where: Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium
Date: Saturday, September 21st
Betting Odds CIN -3.5, HOU +145 | CIN -175 O/U 48.5

Cougars Preview:

Houston improved to 1-2 on the season with a 33-7 victory over Rice, covering the -4.5 point spread as the favorite. The game's over/under was set at 45 points, but the combined score of 40 points fell short, resulting in an under. This was Houston's first win of the season.

The Cougars dominated from the start, taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. By halftime, Houston was up 20-0, and they extended their lead to 26-0 by the end of the 3rd quarter. Rice managed to score in the 4th quarter, but Houston also added 7 points to secure the win.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

Quarterback Donovan Smith led Houston's offense to a 33-7 win over Rice, throwing for 142 yards and one touchdown while completing 57.1% of his passes. The Cougars' offense finished with 379 yards, with 237 of those coming on the ground. Houston's ground game was effective, producing three rushing touchdowns and 379 total yards.

Stacy Sneed was the leading rusher for the Cougars, gaining 82 yards on just seven carries. Stephon Johnson was the top receiver, with one catch for 44 yards and a touchdown.

Cougars Team Defense

After holding Rice to just 84 passing yards in their most recent game, Houston's defense will be looking to replicate that success. The Cougars' defense allowed just 159 total yards and nine first downs, with their secondary picking off one pass. Against the run, Houston gave up 75 yards and one rushing touchdown.

Bearcats Preview:

Bearcats Offense Breakdown

Cincinnati's offense was led by quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who threw for 186 yards and one touchdown while completing 61.8% of his passes. Xzavier Henderson was his top target, catching 10 passes for 108 yards.

The Bearcats' offense totaled 401 yards, with 215 yards coming on the ground. Corey Kiner was the leading rusher, gaining 126 yards on 21 carries and adding a touchdown.

Bearcats Team Defense

Cincinnati's defense will be looking to improve after allowing 356 passing yards and two touchdowns in their most recent game. Despite this, the Bearcats still came out on top, with Miami (OH) managing just 26 rushing yards on 20 attempts. Cincinnati's defense picked off one pass and held Miami (OH) to 16 points and 382 total yards.

Cougars vs Bearcats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five road games, Houston has averaged 15 points per game while allowing 31. The team's record in this stretch was 1-4 while going 3-2.
In their last ten games at home, the Cincinnati Bearcats have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 4-6 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 21 points per game in these contests.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Houston Cougars have a straight up record of 1-4 and an ATS mark of 3-2.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the Cincinnati Bearcats have a straight up record of 6-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-7.