West Virginia Mountaineers (4-4) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-3)
November 9, 2024 12:00 pm EDT
The Line: Cincinnati Bearcats -3.5 / West Virginia Mountaineers +3.5; Over/Under: +55.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The West Virginia Mountaineers and the Cincinnati Bearcats meet Saturday in college football action from Nippert Stadium. Here’s a Cincinnati vs West Virginia prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Cincinnati vs West Virginia pick.
West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Preview
West Virginia went 2-2 over their first four games, beating Albany and Kansas with losses to Penn State and Pittsburgh. The next four were a 2-2 stretch as well; WVU beat Oklahoma State and Arizona with losses to Iowa State and Kansas State otherwise.
In the Arizona game on October 26, the Mountaineers scored points in every quarter to power out a 31-26 victory. Nicco Marichiol notched 198 yards and two pass scores. Jahiem White led the rush with 92 yards on 12 totes, while Traylon Ray had 78 yards and a TD on two grabs.
Cincinnati Bearcats Betting Preview
Over on the Bearcats’ side, they hit a 3-2 run out of the gate with wins over Towson, Miami-OH, and Houston mixed with losses to Pittsburgh and Texas Tech. Cincinnati would beat UCF and Arizona State in the next pair before a loss to Colorado.
Matched up against the Buffaloes, the Bearcats were down 24-14 by halftime. Cincinnati was outscored 10-9 from there in a 34-23 defeat. QB Brendan Sorsby had 180 yards with two TDs. Leading the rush was Corey Kiner with 94 yards on 17 carries.
Why the Cincinnati Bearcats will win
- Cincinnati has won each of its last 18 November games as a favorite.
- West Virginia has failed to cover the spread in five of its last six road games in November.
- Cincinnati has covered the spread in each of its last three games as a favorite.
- Cincinnati has won the first quarter in five of its last six games against conference opponents.
Why the West Virginia Mountaineers will win
- West Virginia has won each of its last seven games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Cincinnati has lost each of its last three home games in November.
- West Virginia has covered the spread in each of its last seven games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Cincinnati has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five home games in November.
- West Virginia has won the first quarter in six of its last seven games against conference opponents.
- West Virginia has won the first half in four of its last five road games against conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Cincinnati’s last four games as a favorite has gone UNDER the total points line.
- Six of West Virginia’s last seven November games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams have gone UNDER the total points line.
Cincinnati vs West Virginia Prediction
I’m going to try West Virginia here. We should have a pretty fun matchup on our hands regardless, though. The Mountaineers posted 401 yards (203 rushing) and 6.5 yards per play in their win over Arizona and did a good job securing the ball with zero turnovers. The defense gave up a bit in the passing game (308 yards) but stood strong against the run (78 yards). WVU’s only losses this year have come to ranked teams, so they’re beating who they’re supposed to.
As for Cincinnati, they were only able to go 3-of-10 on third downs against a good Colorado team in their last outing. The nine penalties for 69 yards didn’t help, either. The Bearcats haven’t cracked 24 points in any of the last three games, so I think the door is open for a Mountaineers cover this weekend. Should be a good one.
