by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Sep 16, 2022
Game time: Noon ET
Venue: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Where to watch: ESPNU
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Cincinnati -22
FanDuel: Cincinnati -22.5
BetMGM: Cincinnati -22.5
Caesars: Cincinnati -22
Season record
Cincinnati: 1-1
Miami-Ohio: 1-1
Upsets galore in Week 2 of college football! We almost saw Alabama go down in Week 2, but that didn't stop the top-25 polls from shaking up a great deal. What does Week 3 bring for us? Sean Murphy had a 6-2-1 run this past Saturday and is on a 15-8 run. If you like those odds, make sure you're following Sean's best bets. Check out Sean's picks, as well as other choices from our champion handicappers in our Best Bets section.
Cincinnati - Miami (OH) preview, analysis and prediction
Last week
Cincinnati: won 63-10 vs. Kennesaw State
Miami-Ohio: won 31-14 vs. Robert Morris
They might not be ranked, and it may take a little bit of time before the Cincinnati Bearcats get back into that kind of national relevancy, but going 2-1 this week with a win over the Miami-Ohio RedHawks seem like a very good bet.
They might not be ranked, and it may take a little bit of time before the Cincinnati Bearcats get back into that kind of national relevancy, but going 2-1 this week with a win over the Miami-Ohio RedHawks seem like a very good bet.
The Bearcats are getting three touchdowns at most books and after the way they responded following the opening week loss to Arkansas, you can understand why. Cincinnati is coming off a dominant home-opener victory against Kennesaw State by a count of 63-10.
Nine different Bearcats got into the endzone. Quarterback Ben Bryant threw three of them on 16 of 19 passing. Jadon Thompson led the way in receiving yardage with 68 on four receptions, and Myles Montgomery had a 76-yard touchdown run late for the dagger.
Cincinnati’s offense looked like the unit of yesteryear with 525 total yards in just 21:52 of time of possession. Yes, those are absurd metrics, yes it’s Kennesaw State, but things look a little bit better for the Bearcats and they’ve shown they can still dominate these types of games.
This battle of Ohio will take place in the Cincinnati Bengals’ stadium, Paycor Stadium, with Miami-Ohio playing the role of the home team. The Battle for the Victory Bell has been as one-sided as one could be. Cincinnati has won 15 straight matchups and hasn’t lost since 2005.
We’re talking about a program that was just in the College Football Playoff last year. Even though there’s some turnover, it’s not like Cincinnati has just fallen off the face of the earth. Funny enough, though, the series is tied at 59-59-7 and a win for the Bearcats would be the first time since 1915 that Cincinnati has the lead. Something in this lexicon doesn’t make sense.
The Bearcats ran through Miami-Ohio last year 49-14, and two years prior, Cincy won 35-13. It’s been domination every which way when it comes to this rivalry, and this won’t be any different. Even though Cincinnati is the designated road team, surely the more fans to come out for this game in Cincinnati will be, well Cincinnati fans.
The RedHawks lost 37-13 in their season opener to the now No. 9-ranked Kentucky Wildcats, but bounced back to win 31-14 against FCS Robert Morris.
Prediction
One more fact: This game was first played in December 1888. Things that happened in 1888 include the Great Blizzard of 1888 on the East Coast, Grover Cleveland was the president, there was no vice president, and the United States was 23 years fresh off the Civil War. This might not last long for Miami-Ohio. Cincinnati by 28
Betting trends
Cincinnati is 13-9 ATS as a favorite in its last 22 instances.
Cincinnati is 10-4 ATS after a win by 17 points or more the past three years.
Miami-Ohio is 83-78 ATS as an underdog since 1992.
Statistical leaders
Cincinnati:
Passing: Ben Bryant -- 526 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Charles McClelland -- 110 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: Tyler Scott -- 119 yards, 1 TD
Miami-Ohio:
Passing: Aveon Smith -- 168 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kevin Davis -- 62 yards
Receiving: Mac Hippenhammer -- 137 yards, 2 TD
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Cincinnati Bearcats - Miami-Ohio RedHawks prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily college football projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
