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It's the second week of college football, and the Pittsburgh Panthers are meeting the Cincinnati Bearcats. We're at Nippert Stadium, sharing our college football odds series, making a Pitt-Cincinnati prediction and pick.
The Panthers defeated the Kent St. Golden Flashes 55-24 in Week 1. They led 28-14 at halftime. Then, Pitt blew the game open in the second half. New starting quarterback Eli Holstein debuted with 336 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception but also took three sacks. Meanwhile, running back Desmond Reid rushed 14 times for 145 yards and one touchdown. Kenny Johnson exploded with seven catches for 105 yards and one touchdown. Likewise, Censure Lee had six catches for 72 yards. Gavin Bartholemew had five catches for 66 yards.
The Panthers finished with 31 first downs, 9 for 15 on third downs, and 1 for 2 on fourth downs. Pitt finished with 570 total yards. However, they turned the ball over twice. The defense made up for it with five sacks. Ultimately, the Panthers also had seven penalties.
The Bearcats defeated the Towson Tigers 38-20 in Week 1. They led 28-17 at halftime. Next, they pulled away in the second half. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby passed for 383 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, running back Evan Pryor rushed four times for 105 yards and one score. Victor Dawson rushed twice for 54 yards. Also, receiver Xzavier Henderson had seven catches for 101 yards and one touchdown. Joe Royer had five receptions for 89 yards. Likewise, Sterling Berkhalter had two catches for 70 yards and one touchdown.
Cincinnati finished 5 for 10 on third-down conversions. Also, they finished with 658 total yards. The Bearcats turned the ball over three times, and the defense forced one. Also, they did not allow a single sack while also generating three sacks. The Bearcats only had three penalties.
Cincinnati defeated Pitt 27-21 last season. Now, the Bearcats hope to replicate that feat and beat the Panthers for the second season in a row. Pitt leads the series 8-5, but Cincinnati has won three in a row.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Pitt-Cincinnati Odds
Pitt: +2.5 (-112)
Moneyline: +106
Cincinnati: -2.5 (-108)
Moneyline: -128
Over: 62.5 (-110)
Under: 62.5 (-110)
How to Watch Pitt vs. Cincinnati
Time: Noon ET/9 AM PT
TV: ESPN 2
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Pitt Could Cover The Spread/Win
Pitt struggled against Cincinnati last season and could not overcome an early deficit. Unfortunately, their bad start resulted in them trailing by 20 points at one point before attempting a comeback. But the comeback fell short as they ran out of time.
Holstein was not around and now gives the Bearcats a fresh perspective on things. Ultimately, he will look to avoid the mistakes of last year's team and get the offense going right from the get-go. Reid also hopes to run the ball efficiently to get things going. Overall, this offense has the potential to go into Cincinnati and steal this game. The Panthers need to execute their plays properly and avoid making critical mistakes.
The defense had five sacks last weekend and will look to replicate the feat this weekend. But this will be a struggle between David and Goliath as they face an offensive line that played a nearly perfect game last weekend.
Pitt will cover the spread if their offense gels early, and they score some touchdowns early. Then, the defense must get past the offensive line and generate some sacks.
Why Cincinnati Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Bearcats destroyed the Tigers last weekend because their offense flowed easily. Then, the defense finished things off smoothly and did not let them have a chance.
Cincinnati has a new quarterback, running back, and wide receiver this time around. Therefore, almost none of the main starters from last season are around. The Bearcats will hope to replicate what they did last season with a new cast of playmakers. Ultimately, Sorsby did a great job in Week 1 and will look to keep the momentum going. But the running game was what dominated. Amazingly, Pryor and Dawson looked unstoppable. Henderson was almost unguardable as a receiver, hauling in seven passes and shattering 100 yards.
The defense did a decent job last weekend. However, they could always do more, especially when forcing turnovers. They will have a tough challenge against a quarterback with a good Week 1 performance.
Cincinnati will cover the spread if it establishes the running game and continues to move the chains efficiently. Then, it needs to apply pressure and force Pitt to be on its back heels.
Final Pitt-Cincinnati Prediction & Pick
We believe this game will go down to the wire as both teams are pretty evenly matched. Furthermore, we don't see a scenario where the Bearcats blow the Panthers away. But we can see a back-and-forth matchup with one team barely escaping. This could be a scenario where a field goal wins at the very end. Consequently, the home field may give Cincinnati the edge here as they find a way to get the last possession and win the game while barely covering the spread.
Final Pitt-Cincinnati Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati: -2.5 (-110)
