A 2-1 week last week to move to 7-4 on the season and just one play this week, as more time has been spent on preparing for Hurricane Ian than it has been looking at football.
Cincinnati at Tulsa Pick & Prediction:
The Bearcats are favored by 9.5 and the total on the game is 60 and like a few others, I’ll be on Tulsa here even though a little bit of the value is gone on the Hurricane. You can still find Cincinnati -10 at PointsBet, but 9.5 is the most common number, so we’ll use that one.
The Bearcats come into this one with a 3-1 record, having beaten Indiana last week to make it three straight wins after a season-opening loss to Arkansas. Cincinnati did play Miami, Ohio and Kennesaw State in their other two games, in which they cruised to victories as 24-plus point favorites. Cincinnati is 2-2 against the spread this season.
Eastern Michigan transfer Ben Bryant has done a solid job at quarterback for Cincinnati and the team is averaging 328 passing yards per game. They have thrown for at least 293 yards in every game, so it’s not a case of padding the stats against the weak foes on the slate. The Bearcats are averaging 42.5 points per game, although their foes are allowing an average of 36 points per contest.
Tulsa’s quarterback, Davis Brin, was injured in the first half against Ole Miss last week, so redshirt freshman quarterback Braylon Braxton may get the start here. He struggled a little against the Rebels, but also made some nice plays. The Tulsa World listed Brin as “day-do-day” and Braxton is getting the majority of reps in practice, which can only help. Coach Montgomery isn’t going to tip his hand too much here and leave the Bearcats guessing.
The Golden Hurricane have been a solid team as underdogs the past few years, going 14-4 ATS as a dog since 2019 and they easily covered the 21-point spread against Ole Miss in what was really Braxton’s first significant playing time in a game. Ole Miss had been tough against the run, but Tulsa ran the ball for 262 yards against them and the Bearcats could see plenty of rushing attempts Saturday.
The Golden Hurricane showed some character last week, trailing 35-14 with their quarterback knocked out of the game, but Braxton led them to a pair of field goals and a 97-yard touchdown drive to make it a one score game. Given Tulsa’s record as an underdog the past few years have to take the Hurricane +9.5 in this one.
Last Weeks College Football Picks Against The Spread
Baylor at Iowa State Pick & Prediction:
The Cyclones are back down to 2.5-point favorites and the total is 45 at PointsBet. I grabbed the Bears +3, but still think there’s decent value on Baylor +2.5 here, as I have them winning the game. Both teams have played some weak foes, along with one tough game. The Cyclones beat offensively challenged Iowa 10-7, while Baylor lost at BYU in overtime.
As the Hawkeyes continue to struggle with the ball, it’s looking as though Baylor’s effort against the Cougars is more impressive than the Cyclones beating Iowa. These teams have played some close battles, with two of the last three games decided by 2 points, so will take the better team as underdogs here and take Baylor.
Clemson at Wake Forest Pick & Prediction:
Clemson is favored at BetMGM by 7 over the Demon Deacons and the total on the game is 55.5. This is obviously a huge game for Wake Forest, who finds itself undefeated and in the Top 25, while it’s just another game for the Tigers. But Wake Forest struggled with Liberty last week and while there may have been a little bit of a look-ahead situation to this one an ACC team shouldn’t be struggling in a game like that.
The Tigers haven’t really played anybody yet, but are looking a bit like Clemson teams of the past. The offense, which really struggled at times last year, is getting the job done even if the defenses they’ve been playing are a little suspect. Huge talent gap here and the price is pretty cheap on the Tigers, so will go ahead and lay the 7 points with the Tigers.
Wisconsin at Ohio State Pick & Prediction:
The Buckeyes are favored by 18.5 and the total is 55.5 at Caesars Sportsbook. This is another game where there’s a huge talent difference between an upper echelon team and a good team, so will go ahead and take the Buckeyes -18.5 in this one.
The line seems high, but this Wisconsin team lost to Washington State. Beating up on the likes of Illinois State and New Mexico State is one thing, but going into Columbus and playing the Buckeyes is something entirely different. Ohio State has also played a couple of weak foes and their win over Notre Dame doesn’t look that impressive any longer but have to believe Ohio State’s passing game is the difference here and the Buckeyes roll.
