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Notre Dame opened as a -1.5 favorite against Cincinnati for Week 5. Gambling911.com had the Bearcats as an early -1.5 favorite.
What Should the Spread on the Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame Game be?
As noted above, we had Cincinnati at -1.5 but this was before the updated ratings so it is possible the Irish will see an improvement in their team rating and that could impact the line. Notre Dame now had a rating of 86.96 and Cincinnati 82.92. We have adjusted the line accordingly to -6.5. While the Irish opened at -1.5, there are injury concerns that have pushed Cincy to -2.5.
Coming Into Week 5
Both these teams enter this week undefeated.
Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in the final 30 minutes, helping No. 8 Cincinnati rally for a critical 38-24 victory at Indiana on Saturday.
"This is huge. I feel like it's a weight lifted off our shoulders," Ridder said. "People talk about checklists and what you've got to do and that's a check mark off the list."
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is "pretty optimistic" that quarterback Jack Coan won't miss next week's showdown against No. 8 Cincinnati after leaving Saturday's 41-13 victory against No. 17 Wisconsin with a left ankle injury.
Coan, facing his former team at Soldier Field, limped off after Notre Dame's second possession of the third quarter with the score tied 10-10. After a quick visit to the medical tent, he was taken to the locker room.
Kelly said X-rays were "clean" and Coan's injury doesn't appear serious.
"It's a soft-tissue injury," Kelly said. "It doesn't even respond like a high ankle sprain, so we're pretty optimistic that we'll be able to see him back next week."
- Ean Lamb, Gambling911.com
