Connecticut vs Cincinnati NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 11/9/2019

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Nippert Stadium

Nippert Stadium is the venue where Desmond Ridder and the Cincinnati Bearcats will take on the Connecticut Huskies on Saturday. Cincinnati opens this matchup as 37-point favorites. The Huskies are 4-5-0 ATS and 4-5-0 when betting on the total. The Bearcats are 3-5-0 when wagering on the over/under and 5-3-0 against the spread.

In their last outing, the Connecticut Huskies went up against the Navy Midshipmen and took the loss by a score of 56-10. Running the show from under center for the Huskies was Jack Zergiotis who went 16/34 with 205 yards passing and threw 1 TD. He tossed 2 interceptions in the game. Kevin Mensah paced the team in rushing for the game. His longest run of the day went for 26 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He rushed for a total of 107 yards by way of 26 carries which means he ran for an average of 4.1 yards per run. Cameron Hairston was the receiving yardage leader by earning 53 yards on 2 receptions. He notched an average of 26.5 yards per reception for the game. The Huskies ran the ball 38 times and added 108 yards which gave them an average of 2.8 yards per rush. For the game, the Huskies earned 21 first downs and they had 6 penalties for 56 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. In the game, they totaled 72 plays for 313 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Connecticut gave up 3 catches on 6 attempts for a total of 165 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%. On the day, they gave up a total of 573 yards but didn't add to their total of forced turnovers. On the ground, the Huskies gave up 408 yards on 51 carries which gave them an average of 8.0 yards per run allowed.

The Huskies head into this matchup 2-7 this year. For total yards, they are currently ranked 11th in the American Athletic Conference and 96th in the country with 3,068 yards. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation with an average of 20.3 points per game, ranking them 115th in the country. As a unit, they have an average of 136.6 yards on the ground per game which is 11th in the AAC. The Huskies have one of the worst defenses in college football, allowing 39.8 points per contest putting them 12th in the AAC. When it comes to yards on the ground, Connecticut is giving up 220.4 yards per game which has them at 12th in the conference and 123rd in college football. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 5.8 yards per rush which has them at 12th in the AAC and 127th in college football overall. Overall, they have allowed 1,984 yards rushing through 9 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Huskies have conceded 1,839 yards. Opponents are completing 64% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.6 yards per attempt.

Related: Gambling 101 Series on How Odds are Calculated - Watch Tony George Explain

The last time they took the field, the Cincinnati Bearcats played the East Carolina Pirates and earned the win by a score of 46-43. Michael Warren II led the team in rushing for that game. He had a long run of 40 yards and he tallied 3 touchdowns for the game. He scurried for 141 yards on 18 carries which meant he averaged 7.8 yards per run. Josiah Deguara was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 76 yards on 2 catches. He had an average of 38.0 yards per catch for that game. Leading the way at QB for the Bearcats was Desmond Ridder who went 12/24 with 161 yards passing and tossed 1 TD. He gave away 2 picks during the game. The Bearcats ran the football 39 times and earned a total of 326 yards which had them averaging 8.4 yards per rush. On the day, they ran 63 plays for a total of 487 yards. In the game, the Bearcats racked up a total of 20 1st downs and they totaled 12 infractions for 117 yards telling us that this team had an undisciplined week of practice. When it comes to their defensive performance, Cincinnati conceded 32 completions on 52 attempts totaling 535 yards, and a completion percentage of 61.5%. Overall, they allowed a total of 638 yards and forced 1 takeaway. Against the run, the Bearcats conceded 103 yards on 35 carries which gave them an average of 2.9 yards per run allowed.

Related: Get college football predictions on all of today's games

The Bearcats head into this game 7-1. Cincinnati has made teams respect their running game by averaging 192.5 rushing yards per contest, putting them 39th in the nation. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 1,540 rushing yards through 8 games, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Bearcats average 396.8 yards per game overall which has them at 72nd in Division 1 and 10th in the conference. The Bearcats are conceding 23.3 points per contest which puts them at 3rd in the conference and 42nd in the country. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road groups in Division 1. They are allowing 247.1 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Bearcats currently sit at 10th in the AAC. In discussing points allowed, they have allowed 186 points in total. When talking about yards on the ground, they are allowing 134.3 yards per game ranking them 39th in the nation and 3rd in the AAC. For this season, they have conceded a total of 1,074 yards on the ground and 10.4 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Huskies/Bearcats college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Huskies +37

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here