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Carrie Stroup here with your Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati spread for Thursday night’s College Football game. Remember to claim your FREE $250 when joining (restrictions do apply).
Sportsbook.ag Line: Cincinnati -4 & 48.5
Opening Line & Total: Bearcats -4 & 49
After getting drilled 31-17 by 18-point underdog Youngstown State on Saturday, the competition gets much tougher for Pittsburgh when it visits conference foe Cincinnati on Thursday night.
The Panthers lost to an FCS program for the first time in school history, as the Penguins held the football for 35:10, converted 11-of-16 third downs and never trailed for the entire game. Pittsburgh has dropped three of the past four meetings with Cincinnati, but has a 5-2 ATS mark in the series since the Bearcats joined the Big East. Cincy finished 10-3 last season, but returns just four offensive starters. QB Munchie Legaux was second on the depth chart in 2011, but he’s the starter now after leading his team to wins in its final two conference games, throwing for 386 yards and five touchdowns.
But the reason the Bearcats will win this game handily is because of a mostly intact defense (eight starters returning) that led the nation in TFL (8.6 per game) and finished second in sacks (3.5 per game). Also, the Panthers are not a team that has historically bounced back from blowout losses, going 5-17 ATS (23%) off a home defeat by 14+ points since 1992.
Pittsburgh’s offense wasn’t that bad against YSU, gaining 369 yards with 8.0 yards per pass and 4.6 yards per carry. Senior QB Tino Sunseri completed 19-of-30 passes for 239 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT. He hasn’t been great in two career starts versus the Bearcats though, completing 38-of-61 passes for 376 yards (6.2 YPA), 1 TD and 2 INT. Senior RB Ray Graham played for the first time since tearing his ACL last year, rushing for a respectable 71 yards on 14 carries (5.1 YPC) against the Penguins, but he did lose a costly fumble. Panthers new head coach Paul Chryst has to be much more concerned about a defense that allowed an FCS school to gain 381 total yards, including 204 on the ground. Despite the poor showing on Saturday, Pittsburgh has been a great wager in Big East play over the past two seasons, going 11-3 ATS (79%).
Legaux did not play in the 26-23 win over Pittsburgh last year, but leading WR Anthony McClung (team-best 683 rec. yds, 6 TD in 2011) had a team-high 73 receiving yards in the victory. With Isaiah Pead moved on to the NFL, senior RB George Winn will attempt to fill Pead’s shoes in 2012. Winn averaged 5.5 YPC in limited duty last year, but showed his speed on a 69-yard touchdown run in the Liberty Bowl victory over Vanderbilt. Although Cincinnati’s great defense excelled against the run last year (96 YPG, 6th in FBS), it struggled a bit in the passing game, allowing 261 YPG (99th in nation).
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
