The Utah Utes and Cincinnati Bearcats meet on Saturday at Nippert Stadium in one of the biggest Big 12 games of Week 9.
Utah enters the weekend at 7-0 overall and 4-0 in Big 12 play after beating Houston 21-13 to take sole possession of first place in the conference. The Utes have now won 13 straight games dating back to last season, the longest active winning streak in the FBS.
But Cincinnati might be catching Utah at the perfect time. The Bearcats are coming off an impressive 37-24 win over then-No. 8 Texas Tech and are 4-0 at Nippert Stadium this season. Cincinnati has also scored at least 30 points in every home game, setting up an intriguing matchup against a Utah defense allowing just 14.6 points per game.
Can Utah remain unbeaten and maintain control of the Big 12 race, or will Cincinnati knock off a Top 10 opponent for the second straight week?
Here is everything you need to know about Utah vs. Cincinnati in Week 9, including the latest odds, our prediction and game pick.
Cincinnati vs. Utah Odds
- Spread: Utah -6.5
- Over/Under: 56.5
- Moneyline: Utah -240/Houston +195
Odds as of Tuesday afternoon. Odds are subject to change.
The Biggest Question: Utah’s Passing Game vs. Cincinnati?
The Utah Utes haven’t really had to showcase an elite passing game, mostly because their running game has been so effective. But this game leads to a big opportunity going up against a Cincinnati passing defense that ranks second-to-last in the Big 12 Conference, only ranking ahead of West Virginia. Can Devon Dampier get that passing game going early on the road? He has underrated weapons in Braden Pegan, Creed Whittemore, Ricky Johnson and tight end Noah Bennee. And of course, Wayshawn Parker has dual-threat ability out of the backfield.
Cincinnati vs. Utah Prediction and Pick
Prediction: Utah 31, Cincinnati 17
The last time we saw Cincinnati play a halfway decent defense, they scored seven points against Arizona. Granted, that was a late-night road game. And Cincinnati is a much better team at Nippert Stadium. But still, they’ve put up points vs. K-State, West Virginia and Texas Tech, three teams who have struggled defensively. Also, the fact that the Bearcats are coming off a game they’ve had circled since the summer, and they got the win, leads to a classic hangover spot here for Cincinnati.
Meantime, Cincinnati wants to get its running game going. And they’ve been able to take advantage against teams like West Virginia and Kansas State, two of the worst run defenses in the Big 12. That’s not Utah. The Utes are Top 4 in the league in stopping the run, which does not bode well for quarterback JC French, who can’t afford to try and get into a shootout against Devon Dampier.
Utah is rested having played two of its last three games at home, and they haven’t had to make a trip outside of their time zone in over a month since they played at Iowa State. But one thing Utah has to be focused on is holding onto the football. Cincinnati leads the Big 12 with 11 forced fumbles this season. That’s led to the Bearcats ranking No. 12 in the country in turnover margin. Utah has held its own in this area, ranking in plus territory and in the Top 60 in the country in turnover margin.
Despite Utah attracting roughly 80% of both tickets and money, the spread has slipped from Utah -7 to -6.5. That suggests at least some respected bettors were willing to take Cincinnati at the key number of seven, preventing sportsbooks from moving the line higher despite public support for the Utes.
While any west coast team traveling two time zones east is a dicey proposition, I’m less worried about it given Cincinnati’s Super Bowl game last week vs. Texas Tech, and the time being less of an issue with the game being at night. I’m rolling with Utah.
Utah wins. Utah covers.
