Cincinnati Bearcats at Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview
Saturday afternoon features a clash of top ten teams as the No. 7 Cincinnati Bearcats (3-0) square off with the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0). The Fighting Irish will host this one at Notre Dame Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 pm ET.
The Bearcats have rolled over the competition thus far, having won all three of their games by at least two touchdowns. In their last matchup two weeks ago, they beat Indiana 38-24. In the win, Jerome Ford rushed for two touchdowns while quarterback Desmond Ridder threw for one and rushed for another.
Notre Dame suffered scares in their first two games, winning by a field goal over both Florida State and Toledo. Since then, though, they have had back-to-back outings allowing just 13 points and beating their competition by two touchdowns or more.
Cincinnati is the slight favorite despite playing on the road. They are -122 to win while Notre Dame’s moneyline sits at +100. The spread features the Fighting Irish +1.5 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 50.5.
More Odds
Cincinnati is currently tied for the sixth-best odds of winning the National Championship this season at +4000. Notre Dame is +6000 to win it all.
By The Numbers
Cincinnati is 13-1 in their last 14 games overall, and they are 4-1 against the spread in their last five road games. They are also undefeated in their last seven games played in the month of October.
In Notre Dame’s last 20 games, they are 18-2 straight up. They are downright dominant at home as they have a 26-game winning streak at Notre Dame Stadium.
Cincinnati Looks To Stout Defense To Take Down Notre Dame
The Bearcats have certainly looked the part of a national contender this season on the defensive side. In fact, entering Saturday’s contest, they rank tied for 25th in scoring defense, allowing just 19 points per game to opponents.
The problem for Cincinnati has been slow starts. They were tied with Murray State at halftime in Week 2 before being down at the break in Week 3. With two weeks off to prepare, head coach Luke Fickell has to find a way to get his offense going early.
Leading the way under center for the Bearcats is Desmond Ridder. On the season, he has thrown for 748 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions. He has also rushed for 72 yards and another two scores.
The leading rusher is Jerome Ford. On 50 carries this season, the junior back has rushed for 300 yards and six touchdowns.
Notre Dame Hopes For Improved Offense
Like Cincinnati, the Fighting Irish have been plagued with some inconsistent play on the offensive side. Quarterback Jack Coan has thrown for 986 yards and nine touchdowns but also has two interceptions to date and a 60.6 completion percentage.
Last week, against Wisconsin, they were tied 10-10 going into the fourth quarter before a monster 31-point finish, highlighted by some solid defense and special teams play.
In the comeback, it was actually Drew Pyne, not Coan, on the field. After Coan left with an injury, Pyne threw for 81 yards and a touchdown. Chip Kelly insists it will be Coan under center if he is healthy, but his inconsistency may make it appealing to switch to Pyne if things go south.
On the ground, Kyren Williams leads the way for Notre Dame. He has rushed 64 times for 244 yards and two touchdowns. He also has 155 yards receiving and another two scores.
Take Notre Dame And The Points
This one is shaping up to be one of the best matchups of the weekend. Don’t be surprised if the defense wins out early and the under hits when it is all said and done.
With a matchup that could go either way, the smartest bet is to take the points. In this case, that means taking Notre Dame at +1.5.
