- The Indiana Hoosiers +580 underdogs to face the Cincinnati Bearcats -700 in Week 4.
- Indiana is 3-0 with close wins every week, they’re +16.5 to cover the spread.
- We give our Hoosiers vs Bearcats prediction for this Saturday’s primetime game.
One of the under-the-radar matchups in Week 4 of the college football season is the Indiana Hoosiers facing the Cincinnati Bearcats. Indiana is 3-0 with wins over Western Kentucky, Idaho, and Illinois. Oddly enough, each of the three victories was by a field goal, including a thrilling finish against Western Kentucky.
The Bearcats are 2-1 with a loss to Arkansas on the road, but Luke Fickell’s team has still looked impressive early on. Here are the NCAAF odds and prediction for Indiana vs Cincinnati this Saturday in Ohio.
Indiana vs Cincinnati Odds
Unsurprisingly, the college football odds are with the Bearcats, as they are favored by 16.5 points over Indiana – according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The over/under has been set to 54.4.
This game is being played at Nippert Stadium, and this is just the second home game of the year. The Hoosiers have squeaked by in every game, and this will be their biggest test of the season. Soon enough, Ohio online sports betting will be open for all Bearcat fans.
Now let’s see what are some of the best bets for Hoosiers vs Bearcats, with all 3 of these picks being eligible for some same game parlays!
Hoosiers vs Bearcats Prediction
Cincinnati Bearcats moneyline
These odds aren’t favorable one bit, but it will be a huge upset if Indiana walks out of Nippert Stadium with the victory. Even with the flurry of Bearcats players who went to the NFL, they haven’t really skipped a beat.
Bearcats QB Ben Bryant has gotten off to a hot start, throwing for 863 yards with seven touchdowns and a pair of interceptions after his return to Cincinnati. The Bearcats should easily walk away with this victory, although Indiana could make things more interesting.
Indiana +17 (-112)
The Hoosiers most likely don’t win this game. But a 17-point underdog seems a bit surprising for a 3-0 team that has won a couple of gritty football games early on.
The Hoosiers can throw the ball and are 39th in passing yards per game (297) while converting third downs at 46.9% to sit 60th in the country.
Indiana QB Connor Bazelak has thrown the ball at least 50 times in two of the three games and Shaun Shivers looks like one of the best running backs in the country. If the Hoosiers can get big performance from these two guys, they could make things close once again — something they have done in every game this season.
The defense is concerning, but the Hoosiers have played a series of close games, and that experience might be handy against a loaded Cincinnati Bearcats squad.
Indiana vs. Cincinnati Over 54 (-113)
This should be an easy bet. Indiana has scored 23, 35, and 33 points, respectively, in the three games this season. Cincinnati has put up 24, 63, and 38 in three games this year, so the likelihood of these teams going over that 54-point mark is extremely likely.
Both offense can score at will, and neither one of these defenses is very good. This could turn into an old-fashioned shootout, and it could be a final score in the range of 48-41.
As discussed previously, the Hoosiers might be able to keep this game close. While some of their wins this season have been concerning (Idaho isn’t very good), the Hoosiers have the offense to hang around, even with a talented team such as the Bearcats.
On the other hand, both of Cincinnati’s wins have been relatively easy — Kennesaw State and Miami (Ohio) — so we really haven’t gotten a great grasp despite their Week 1 loss to the Razorbacks.
If Shivers can run wild (he had 155 yards against Idaho), that will help. Once again, this is a longshot, but it might be worth putting a little bit of money on the Hoosiers to pull off an upset and move to 4-0 on the season.