The Houston Cougars are riding high. Houston is up to No. 6 in the polls and that should mean a spot in the College Football Playoff if it runs the table. The Cougars are looking to become the first mid-major team to win it all in the modern era and Tom Herman has the team humming on all cylinders. They will face their first road test in College Football Week 3 when they have to travel to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in what very well could be a preview of the AAC Title Game.
Kickoff for this Week 3 game is set for Thursday, September 15, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Nippert Stadium. This game will be broadcast on ESPN.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cincinnati +8.5
Houston -8.5
Odds Analysis
The Cougars open as an 8.5-point favorite in this game but the spread should fall closer to kickoff. Sharps love betting on home underdogs in situations like this, and there’s a lot of bite in this Bearcats team. Both teams are 2-0 overall and 1-1 ATS this season.
Players to Watch
Greg Ward Jr. was held out of Houston’s victory over FCS Lamar last week with a minor injury to his throwing shoulder, but Herman said he would have played if the Cougars had been playing an AAC opponent. That’s good news because Houston is going to need Ward’s playmaking ability against Cincinnati. Ward became the first quarterback to run for over 1000 yards in program history last season and that makes him very difficult to stop.
After sitting out last season, the Cougars have a highly-talented running back alongside Ward in Duke Catalon. Catalon transferred over from Texas after not being able to crack the Longhorns’ depth chart in spring ball and their loss is the Cougars gain. He had 117 total yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma and gives Houston an added dimension it didn’t have last season.
Last Meeting
Cincinnati almost pulled off the upset on the road as a 9-point underdog last season thanks to a stellar performance from Gunner Kiel. It feels like Kiel has been playing forever at this point and his experience has been key for the Bearcats. He threw for over 500 yards against this Houston team to put Cincy within a field goal of sending the game to overtime and exposed a weak Cougars secondary.
However, Kiel also gave the Cougars 9 points between a pick-six and a safety and those proved to loom large. He has the arm and the confidence a quarterback needs to pull off an upset in a game like this, but must limit turnovers and avoid costly sacks.
Free ATS Pick
Houston seems to be the real thing. All too often, a mid-major receives a lot of buzz coming into the season only to disappoint whenever it plays a power conference opponent. The Cougars have routinely proved they are for real under Herman though with wins over Louisville, Florida State, and Oklahoma.
The Bearcats present an interesting challenge though. Cincinnati can wing the ball all over the field and unlike Oklahoma, have some proven options at receiver. Houston didn’t exactly show that it had a stout defense against the Sooners, allowing six yards per carry from OU’s running backs and over 300 yards from Mayfield. Cincinnati will have opportunities to move the ball and should be able to hang around.
This will likely be the toughest conference test for the Cougars this season. Cincinnati has a pretty talented roster and the Cougars secondary doesn’t have a lot of experience. Not only that, but the Bearcats have a lot of size on their defense, with every starter being at least 6’0. That means that the Cougars receivers won’t have the height advantage they do on other AAC opponents this season and that Ward will have to throw Crisp passes.
Cincinnati will give Houston all it can handle here, but in the end Houston still has too much to prove this season to fall. It will be back and forth, but the Cougars will pull out a victory late.
College Football Odds: Cougars 37, Bearcats 35
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
