Cincinnati Bearcats (8-0) vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane (5-1)
Game Info: Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 8:00 pm (Nippert Stadium)
Dec 19, 2020 2020 AAC Championship Game odds, line: Cincinnati vs. Tulsa picks, predictions from model on 54-34 run SportsLine's advanced computer model simulated Tulsa vs. Cincinnati on Saturday 10,000 times. Dec 16, 2020 Cincinnati looks to win the AAC championship on Saturday as 13.5-point favorites over Tulsa (8 p.m. EST, ABC) Bearcats QB Desmond Ridder has been one of the country’s most dynamic playmakers and could give Tulsa’s defense fits Read below for complete analysis, odds and a pick on the game.
Betting Odds: Cincinnati Bearcats -12.5 -- Over/Under: 46.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The 24th ranked Tulsa Golden Hurricane will travel to Nippert Stadium to take on the 8th ranked Cincinnati Bearcats in the AAC Championship this Saturday night.
Tulsa Cincinnati Pick Pickup
The 24th ranked Tulsa Golden Hurricane won their 6th straight game and improved to 6-1 on the season after defeating the Navy Midshipmen, 19-6, this past Saturday. Tulsa’s defense was outstanding against the Navy rushing attack and had no trouble securing the victory after taking 10-point lead with 10:58 left in regulation on a 37-yard FG by Zack Long. Tulsa outgained Navy by a 296-153 margin and forced 1 turnover in the victory. Leading the way for the Golden Hurricane was QB Zach Smith who completed 10 of 25 passes for 168 yards & 1 TD.
On the season, Tulsa is averaging 27.7 ppg on 411.1 total yards per game (251.7 passing yds/g; 159.4 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Tulsa has been led by QB Zach Smith who has completed 57.8% of his passes for 1,434 yards, 11 TD, & 6 INT. The top receiving threats for the Golden Hurricane have been Keylon Stokes (35 rec, 508 yards, 2 TD), Josh Johnson (35 rec, 484 yards, 6 TD), JuanCarlos Santana (25 rec, 378 yards, 3 TD), and Sam Crawford Jr. (21 rec, 254 yards, TD). Leading the way for the Tulsa backfield has been the trio of Deneric Prince (71 att, 356 yards, 2 TD), Corey Taylor II (63 att, 329 yards, 2 TD), and T.K. Wilkerson (80 att, 317 yards, 4 TD).
Defensively, Tulsa is holding their opponents to an average of 19.9 ppg on 329.4 total yards per game (184.1 passing yds/g; 145.3 rushing yds/g).
The 8th ranked Cincinnati Bearcats come into this game with an overall record of 8-0 after defeating the UCF Knights, 36-33, on November 21st. In their toughest test of the season, Cincinnati was able to hold on for the victory after taking a 36-25 lead with 7:15 left in regulation on a 7-yard TD reception by Leonard Taylor. Cincinnati outgained UCF by a 482-359 margin and forced 1 turnover in the victory. Leading the way for the Bearcats was QB Desmond Ridder who completed 21 of 32 passes for 338 yards & 2 TD while also adding 2 TD’s on the ground.
On the season, Cincinnati is averaging 40.9 ppg on 473.1 total yards per game (238.9 passing yds/g; 234.3 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Cincinnati has been led by QB Desmond Ridder who has completed 66.5% of his passes for 1,821 yards, 16 TD, & 6 INT. Ridder is also the 2nd leading rusher for the Bearcats as he has 526 rushing yards & 11 TD on 67 carries. The top receiving threats for the Bearcats have been Jayshon Jackson (20 rec, 297 yards, TD), Josh Whyle (24 rec, 291 yards, 5 TD), Michael Young Jr. (23 rec, 260 yards, 3 TD), and Tre Tucker (17 rec, 227 yards, 3 TD). Leading the way for the Cincinnati backfield has been the duo of Gerrid Doaks (137 att, 660 yards, 7 TD) & Jerome Ford (53 att, 329 yards, 6 TD).
Defensively, Cincinnati is holding their opponents to an average of 15.0 ppg on 308.1 total yards per game (195.6 passing yds/g; 112.5 rushing yds/g).
The Golden Hurricane are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 December games and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win. The Bearcats are 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Cincinnati was supposed to take on Tulsa on the road last week before being cancelled due to Covid-19 and now we’ll have the same matchup for the AAC Championship in Cincinnati. Cincinnati has been a team that has paid off for us throughout the season, however, similar to my writeup last week, I’m a big fan of this Tulsa defense which I think can give Cincinnati some trouble. Tulsa will need a big game from Zach Smith, however, as I think this has a chance to be a low-scoring slugfest, I’m taking Tulsa and the points in this one.
Brett’s PickTulsa Golden Hurricane +12.5
Cincinnati Bearcats (2-5) vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane (5-3)
Game Info: Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 3:00 pm (Fifth Third Arena)
Betting Odds: Cincinnati Bearcats -3 -- Over/Under: 132 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Tulsa Golden Hurricane and Cincinnati Bearcats face off on Saturday in a college basketball showdown at the Fifth Third Arena.
Tulsa hasn’t had the most success this season, but they were impressive in their last game against Houston. In the last game Tulsa’s defense stepped up in a big way late in the game and that led to a one point victory. Tulsa is averaging 67.1 points per game while their defense is giving up 62.9 points per game. Tulsa is shooting 44.4 percent from the field but only 29.8 percent from behind the three point line. Tulsa is led by guard Brandon Rachal who is averaging 14.5 points while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from the field. In this game for Tulsa it’s going to be about the defense stepping up in a big way and making life tough for Cincinnati.
Tulsa Cincinnati Pick Schedule
On the other side of this matchup is the Cincinnati Bearcats who sit with a 2-5 record overall and they have lost four games in a row. Each of those last four games they also failed to cover the spread. Each of the last three games the Cincinnati Bearcats were the favorite. On the season Cincinnati is averaging 68.4 points per game while their defense is giving up 71.7 points per game. Guard Keith Williams has been the best player for Cincinnati averaging 15.1 points per game while shooting 43,5 percent from the field but only 28 percent from the field.
Tulsa Cincinnati Pick Up Groceries
The under is 19-7 in Tulsa’s last 26 games played on Saturday. Cincinnati is 1-8 against the spread in their last nine home games. Cincinnati is 5-20-1 against the spread in their last 26 games played on Saturday. The home team is 8-1 against the spread in the last nine meetings played between Tulsa and Cincinnati.
Cincinnati has really struggled and they are going to have issues getting the job done in this one. Look for Cincinnati to struggle to score and Tulsa is going to have no issue locking down. Back Tulsa against the spread.