Teams looking to stay perfect on the season meet on Saturday when the seventh-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats take on the ninth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Bearcats (3-0), who return 16 starters from last season's 9-1 team, have won each game this season by 14 points or more. The Fighting Irish, who have started the season 4-0 for the third time in the last four seasons, have gone 4-0 to start the season six times during coach Brian Kelly's 12 years at Notre Dame. Since the start of 2018, the Fighting Irish are 37-5 (.881).
The game from Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., is slated to start at 2:30 p.m. ET. The Bearcats are favored by two points in the latest Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 50. Before making any Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati picks, check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,300 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. After going a sizzling 9-3 in Week 4, it also enters Week 5 of the 2021 season on a 81-61 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame:
- Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame spread: Cincinnati -2
- Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame over-under: 50 points
- Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame money line: Cincinnati -125, Notre Dame +105
- CIN: The Bearcats are 5-1 against the spread in their last six road games vs. a team with a winning home record
- ND: The Fighting Irish are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams from the AAC
Why Cincinnati can cover
Cincinnati is 11th in the country in average turnover margin per game at plus-1.33. Sophomore linebacker Deshawn Pace leads the team in tackles with 25, including 15 solo. He has recovered one fumble and has an interception he returned 39 yards. Last week at Indiana, Pace made 10 tackles, including nine solo, with an interception.
Offensively, the Bearcats have a nice one-two punch at wide receiver to help out quarterback Desmond Ridder. Senior Alec Pierce leads the team with nine receptions for 150 yards (16.7 average) and one touchdown. Sophomore Tyler Scott has caught seven passes for 172 yards (24.6 average) and two scores. Pierce played a big role in Cincinnati's comeback win over the Hoosiers, catching five passes for 86 yards (17.2 average) and a touchdown.
Why Notre Dame can cover
Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan (ankle) is probable, but much of the Fighting Irish's success this season has been due to the play of its defense. Sophomore linebacker JD Bertrand leads the unit with 42 tackles, including 28 solo, through Notre Dame's first four games. That ranks 11th nationally and is the most by an Irish player through the first four games of a season since Manti Te'o had 54 in the first four games of the 2010 season. Last week against Wisconsin, Bertrand registered eight tackles, including seven solo.
Also powering the defense is junior safety Kyle Hamilton, a top NFL prospect who has 24 tackles, including 14 solo. He also has three interceptions and two pass breakups. He was a beast in a 27-13 win over Purdue on Sept. 18, registering 10 tackles, including seven solo, with two pass breakups and an interception. In the season opener against Florida State on Sept. 5, he recorded six tackles, including two solo, with a pair of interceptions.
How to make Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 46 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
