Notre Dame vs Cincinnati 10/2/21 College Football Picks, Odds, Predictions
Cincinnati Bearcats (3-0) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0)
October 2, 2021 2:30 pm EDT
The Line: Notre Dame Fighting Irish -1 ; Over/Under: 49.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Cincinnati Bearcats and Notre Dame Fighting Irish square off Saturday afternoon in a college football contest. Cincinnati had a bye last weekend, but the Bearcats sit at 3-0 after a win versus Indiana in their last outing. As for the Irish, they’re coming off a game versus Wisconsin. In that one, Notre Dame had a big fourth quarter in a blowout win. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.
Cincinnati opened up their year with a big victory over Miami-OH, jumping out to a 35-0 halftime lead in a 49-14 rout. The Bearcats followed that up with another big win, this time 42-7 over Murray State on September 11.
The Bearcats had a little trouble early versus the Hoosiers in their last game. Cincinnati was down 14-10 at the break but from there outscored Indiana 28-10 during a 38-24 win. QB Desmond Ridder finished with 210 yards, one TD and one interception.
Over on the Notre Dame side, they opened the year with a tight matchup versus Florida State, eventually winning 41-38 in overtime. The Irish had another close game 32-29 versus Toledo before a 27-13 win over Purdue in game three.
Last weekend versus Wisconsin, Notre Dame had a 10-10 tie heading into the final quarter and turned on the jets. The Irish scored 31 in the final period to post a 41-13 win. QB Jack Coan finished with 158 yards and a score, and Kevin Austin had 76 yards and two TDs from six grabs.
The Bearcats are 4-1 ATS in their last five non-conference games and 4-1 ATS in their last five on the road. Cincinnati is also 7-3 ATS in their last 10 overall.
Meanwhile, the Irish are 4-1 ATS in their last five versus the AAC and 8-2 ATS versus a team with a winning record. Notre Dame is 2-5 ATS in their last seven at home as well.
PICK: I’m going to try Cincinnati, but probably staying away. The Irish were dominated by Wisconsin in a few key categories in their last game, but thanks to five turnovers and a 1-of-14 mark on third downs from the Badgers, Notre Dame was able to surge for the win.
As for Cincinnati, they had 11 penalties and some tepid stats in the Indiana game, but the week off will probably do them some good when it comes to extra preparation. Should be a fun matchup to watch regardless.
