by Chuck Sommers
Sunday, Nov 20, 2022
Time: Noon ET
Venue: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Where to watch: ABC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Cincinnati -2.5
FanDuel: Cincinnati -3
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: Cincinnati -2.5
Season record
No. 21 Tulane: 9-2 (6-1 AAC)
No. 25 Cincinnati: 9-2 (6-1 AAC)
The college football fun never stops and we're inching closer to conference championship season. A lot of big games are still to be determined in who will play whom and where, and our top-notch handicappers have been at the forefront for the last month or so providing you with the winners you need to head into December with some confidence in your pocket. How can you be so sure? Of course you have to look at the likes of Kyle Hunter going 20-8-0 over the last 30 days, as well as Will Rogers at 22-14-0 over the last month. What about Vegas Writer? He's sitting at 12-6-1 over the last 30 days since joining our team of champion handicappers that has been killing it everywhere this year. You see the success rate. You need to be on board to join our guys who can get you where you need to go for the homestretch of the college football season. Make sure you're keeping tabs here at bigal.com to find out what our champion handicappers are thinking in all sports!
Tulane - Cincinnati preview, analysis and prediction
Last week
Tulane: won 59-24 vs. SMU
Cincinnati: won 23-3 at Temple
There is a slight possibility that we could be seeing this match up one week from now but for all the marbles. The Tulane Green Wave by way of pure help from the Naval Academy, have a golden ticket back to the American Athletic Conference championship game on December 3rd. Ironically enough their opponent this week, the Cincinnati Bearcats, would be the opponent should things go the way that we possibly wouldn't expect them to go at all last week.
There is a slight possibility that we could be seeing this match up one week from now but for all the marbles. The Tulane Green Wave by way of pure help from the Naval Academy, have a golden ticket back to the American Athletic Conference championship game on December 3rd. Ironically enough their opponent this week, the Cincinnati Bearcats, would be the opponent should things go the way that we possibly wouldn't expect them to go at all last week.
And I say that because the UCF Knights were considered and given the golden path to go to the conference title game period all they had to do essentially was defeat Navy and it would be sitting pretty going into December. Alas, Navy beat UCF 17-14 and as a result it has opened the door for a team like Tulane, whose hopes were dashed last week in a loss to UCF, to give them new life.
Tulane is coming off a strong bounce back victory over SMU, winning by a landslide 59-24. We've talked plenty about Tulane’s offense all year long and that was the case once again on Saturday. Michael Pratt threw for three touchdowns, Tyjae Spears ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns. It's all pretty much the same thing. Tulane’s defense, however, set the tone on this day. Tulane forced five turnovers against SMU, recorded two interceptions, and the Mustangs never got comfortable falling behind 28-7 at halftime.
''I didn't know it was going to be like that,'' Pratt said of the resounding end to SMU's seven-game winning streak in the series. ''I thought a little bit more of a shootout. Defense did a phenomenal job. On offense, we just took care of the ball, marched down the field and scored.''
It’s very good to see the Cinderella run continue for the Green Wave. They've been such a fun team to watch all year long and they deserve every bit of success they get. But now they know that to keep this Cinderella season going, they need to win one more game in order to host a conference title game, which seemed impossible when the season began.
But this week will not pose an easy task for Tulane because they are going against the defending conference champions. And while Cincinnati might not be the same team as last year that went to the College Football Playoff and took the entire country by storm, this is still a very good team with a very strong defense, possibly the strongest defense in the entire conference. In short this is going to be Tulane’s biggest challenge of the season.
And not that the temple owls were the biggest threat to Cincinnati on this day, but the Bearcats held temple to just 202 total yards of offense and forced 4 turnovers in a 23-3 victory for Cincinnati. Quarterback Ben Bryant didn't have to do much, throwing for 130 yards and a touchdown and Ryan Montgomery ran for 58 yards and a touchdown. In short, all in a day’s work.
"The game is all about November," Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said. "We've been talking about getting to November and playing well. It's always tough when you go on the road, but these guys came out tonight and didn't worry about what happened earlier (with the UCF loss) or what the opportunities were for next week. They were up for the challenge."
Prediction
Sometimes you just look at these games and you just have a feeling that the team that should be considered the underdog will pull it off. It is going to be the toughest environment to lane has played in this year, and is going to be the toughest test Tulane has all year. But a win ensures that they get Cincinnati at home the following week and if you can beat the team on the road you have a better chance of being at home. Tulane by 7
Betting trends
Tulane is 15-5 ATS after a conference game the last three years.
Tulane is 9-2 ATS after 3 straight conference games the last 3 years.
Cincinnati is 9-12 ATS against conference opponents the last 3 years.
Statistical leaders
Tulane:
Passing: Michael Pratt -- 2,220 yards, 20 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Tyjae Spears -- 996 yards, 12 TD
Receiving: Shae Wyatt -- 520 yards, 5 TD
Cincinnati:
Passing: Ben Bryant -- 2,732 yards, 21 TD, 7 INT
Rushing: Charles McClelland -- 777 yards, 6 TD
Receiving: Tyler Scott -- 888 yards, 9 TD
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Tulane Green Wave - Cincinnati Bearcats 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.
