The sixth-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats will travel south to Raymond James Stadium on Friday night to take on the USF Bulls in an American Conference showdown. The Bearcats are a perfect 9-0 (5-0) and are coming off a 28-20 home win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. Senior quarterback Desmond Ridder went 15-of-23 for 274 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
The Bulls are 2-7 (1-4) and are on a two-game losing streak after losing at home 54-42 to the Houston Cougars. Freshman quarterback Timmy McClain went 22-of-46 for 299 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Cincinnati at USF Betting Analysis
On the Cincinnati Bearcats side
Junior running back Jerome Ford is questionable for this game with an undisclosed injury but has been one of the best players in college football this year. So far, he has 142 rushing attempts for 888 yards (6.3 yards per attempt) with 15 rushing touchdowns as well as 15 receptions for 169 yards (11.3 yards per catch) and an additional touchdown.
In his last game against Tulsa, Ford finished with seven rushes for 24 yards (3.4 yards per carry) with a rushing touchdown and two catches for 67 yards (33.5 yards per reception).
The Cincinnati Bearcats have been an incredible defensive program as they are giving up 14.9 points per game this year. In their previous game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, Cincinnati allowed 20 points on 457 total yards of offense (160 passing, 297 rushing).
Cincinnati forced special teams on the field as Tulsa went 4-of-14 on third down attempts and 1-of-4 on fourth down opportunities. The Bearcats need to pounce on the opposing rusher as they gave up 5.2 rushing yards per run.
On the USF Bulls side
Junior running back Jaren Mangham has been doing a good job this season as he has 116 rushes for 507 yards (4.4 yards per attempt) with 13 rushing touchdowns as well as four catches for 20 yards (five yards per reception). In his last game against the Cougars, he finished with eight carries for 24 yards (three yards per run) and a pair of receptions for five yards (2.5 yards per catch).
The USF Bulls have been a brutally bad defensive team this season as they are allowing 34.3 points per game. In their previous game against Houston Cougars, the Bulls gave up 54 points on 646 total yards of offense (385 passing, 261 rushing).
The Bulls struggled to stop the running attack as the Cougars averaged 6.7 rushing yards per attempt. They did, however, do a great job of limiting third down conversions as Houston was held to just 3-of-10.
Bearcats at Bulls Prediction
The top sportsbooks in the country have this being a one-sided affair for the Cougars as they are favored by more than three touchdowns. However, with Jerome Ford being listed as questionable and the Bearcats not being able to flex their muscles the past few weeks, USF seems like they should be able to cover at home.
The Bulls have covered in each of the previous six games against the Cougars, so go with to happen once again.
