Two explosive offenses hookup in Provo for a non-conference tilt Friday night.
BYU is off a wild 45-38 home win over East Carolina while Cincinnati enters off a bye with their league-leading offense out of the American Athletic Conference.
ODDS
No line on Monday as BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum suffered a hamstring injury in the Cougars wild 45-38 win over East Carolina last Saturday.
Anticipate a very high posted total in the mid-60s once Mangum is declared healthy enough to start. Both of Cincinnati’s road games have gone flying over the total with a combined 99 and 70 points scored.
The BYU Cougars project as near 4-5-point favorites should quarterback Tanner Mangum start for the Cougars. But Cincinnati is off a bye, and quarterback Gunner Kiel may return after suffering a neck injury in the September 24 game at Memphis.
However, redshirt freshman Hayden Moore has been excellent in relief, as he passed for a school-record 557 yards and four touchdowns against Memphis and 279 the following week in a 34-24 upset of the Miami Hurricanes.
KEY MISMATCH
Both teams passing attacks against the opposition’s pass defense. Each team accumulates 69 percent of their yards through the air which ranks top-25 in the country in passing yards percentage.
Cincinnati is averaging 397 passing yards per game against four FBS opponents to rank No. 5 in the country. The Bearcats also pass the ball 47 times per game. BYU’s pass defense allowed 30-of-42 completions and 385 passing yards at 9.2 yards per pass to East Carolina last week. The Pirates are also in the American Athletic Conference and have a similar but not as potent passing attack to Cincinnati’s.
BYU has a top-25 passing attack at 282 yards per game against a stronger slate. The Cougars pass the ball 42 times per game which ranks top-20 in the country. The Cougars passed for 341 yards at 9.0 yards per pass against a very stat-similar pass defense of ECU that they will face against Cincinnati.
The Bearcats have just two interceptions this season, and note quarterback Mangum missed nearly an entire quarter with his hamstring injury before returning to lead the game-winning 75-yard touchdown drive in the closing minutes.
KEY STAT
Cincinnati is averaging 39 points per game but allowing 31 points per game.
The Bearcats have the AAC’s top offense averaging 587 yards per game with a powerful, balanced attack including a league-high 386 passing yards per game. They also average a very strong 32 first downs per game and 48 percent conversions on third down.
Cincinnati also features a strong punt return game leading the AAC with 16-yards per punt return.
Outside of their shutout loss at Michigan against the nation’s top defense, BYU has averaged 33 points per game against one of the nation’s toughest schedules and much stronger defenses than that of Cincinnati’s.
BETTING ANGLE
Cincinnati is 3-2 but 0-2 in AAC play and 2-3 ATS for the season. Four of the Bearcats five games have gone over the total with every total posted of at least 55 points.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Regardless of who plays quarterback for Cincinnati, the Bearcats will move the ball. However, BYU has plenty of firepower on offense should Mangum make kickoff which is expected. Cincinnati has had penalty problems this season along with turnover troubles with a minus-11 turnover margin including 10 interceptions.
The Cougars have played in the most dramatic games and finishes this season, and another high-scoring back-and-forth game is expected Friday night under the lights on ESPN.
Check the quarterback statuses for each team as this is a pretty even match-up if Mangum and Moore start at quarterback. Kiel is solid too, but may not be as sharp returning from injury. Brace yourself for another Friday night shootout!
BYU 45, Cincinnati 41
BookMaker has not opened the NCAAF spread for this game with quarterback starters yet to be determined. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Cincinnati Bearcats and BYU Cougars will take place Friday, October 16, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. ET at Lavell Edwards Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
