A battle in the American Athletic Conference takes place on the national stage Thursday when Cincinnati visits Memphis. The Bearcats were heavily favored last week and escaped with a win at rival Miami University, dropping them to 0-3 ATS this season. Memphis takes a 10-game winning streak into the showdown with the preseason conference favorite and has cashed the over in six consecutive games at the Liberty Bowl.
ODDS
Memphis opened as a 6.5-point favorite and the spread was wagered to -7. There likely will be more movement on the line before game time when more is released about the availability of UC quarterback Gunner Kiel. His status has kept the total off the board.
KEY MISMATCH
The Bearcats are in a tough spot with starting quarterback Kiel likely out with a head injury. Kiel sustained a concussion when he banged his head on the turf last week during a roughing-the-passer call, and now comes a short week before dealing with AAC West favorite Memphis. “I’m not going to count him out, but with a five-day turnaround it’s going to be awfully hard,” Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville said. If Kiel can’t go, redshirt freshman Hayden Moore would start. Moore threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles in the fourth quarter alone against Miami, but he also capped the winning touchdown drive with a 1-yard scoring plunge. Moore and UC could benefit from the shortage of Memphis cornerbacks. The Tigers will have to play more zone coverage because of their personnel and it’ll be more important for them to pressure the opposing quarterback.
KEY STAT
-8 – Cincinnati’s turnover margin. The Bearcats have 11 turnovers overall, which is tied for last in the FBS and their minus-8 margin is the worst in the 127-team FBS. Memphis has three takeaways on the year and is even in turnover margin.
BETTING ANGLE
Memphis has a chance to make a statement on Thursday against the preseason American Athletic Conference favorite in what could be a preview of the first conference championship game. And the Tigers are getting Cincinnati at a fragile time. The Bearcats could be without Kiel, who suffered a concussion Saturday and was taken out of the game. UC’s defense has been shaky and will also be without cornerbacks Adrian Witty and Leviticus Payne, leaving plenty of room for Paxton Lynch and the Tigers’ fifth-ranked scoring offense. Both teams have played the over in their first three games of the season and the Tigers have played above the total in each of their last five games at the Liberty Bowl. The Tigers have also won 10 straight games following last week’s victory over Bowling Green
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This is a huge early season game in the AAC. Cincinnati, the preseason favorite to win the conference, already owns a loss in league play and dropping its first two could be disastrous. And the Bearcats will likely be without their top gun quarterback who was concussed last week and had to leave the game. Though there’s been no official word on Kiel’s status, the short turnaround certainly hampers his chances of getting back on the field. And without him, the Bearcats chances of victory are slim. Both teams like offense so this could be a shootout, and Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch directs a unit that scores 54 points a game. Even if Kiel does play, I still like Memphis to get the win.
Memphis 31, Cincinnati 23
The college football lines for this contest were first released by BookMaker and the Tigers were positioned as 6.5-point favorites. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The Cincinnati Bearcats and Memphis Tigers square off on Thursday, September 24, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Liberty Bowl. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
