Houston vs. Cincinnati, 12/4/21 AAC Championship Game Prediction

AAC Championship Game Prediction

The undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats could punch their ticket into the College Football Playoffs on Saturday with a win over Houston in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game at 4:00 p.m. ET. That said, will the Bearcats cover as a sizable home favorite?

Game Snapshot

313 Houston Cougars (+10.5) at 314 Cincinnati Bearcats (-10.5); o/u 52.5

4:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 4, 20201

Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

TV: ABC

Houston Cougars Game Notes

Houston redshirt junior QB Clayton Tune threw for four touchdowns as the Cougars cruised to a 45-17 win over UConn in the season finale. Tune (6'3/215) completed 21 of 30 passes for 301 yards, adding seven yards on the ground while leading his team to a decisive road win. Tune had two touchdown throws in each half, with the last of his quartet putting Houston up 38-10 and essentially icing the game. Two of those tosses went to WR Nathaniel Dell, while three of his receivers cleared the 100-yard plateau. The Cougars (11-1) finished the regular season unbeaten in conference play, setting up a showdown with undefeated and CFP No. 4 Cincinnati in the AAC title game next week.

Cincinnati Bearcats Game Notes

Cincinnati senior QB Desmond Ridder completed 17-of-28 passes for 301 yards in a 35-13 win over East Carolina on Friday afternoon. Ridder (6'4/215) didn't have a perfect game. He threw two picks, including one in the endzone trying to put the game away in the fourth quarter. After the first quarter ended down 3-0, Ridder took over, throwing two nice touchdown passes. The first one was a 44-yard touchdown to Leonard Taylor where Ridder dropped it in the bucket on a corner route. The second one was a 28-yard fade route to Alec Pierce. Ridder only amassed 24 yards on the ground, but he did break out a 24-yard run that brought the Bearcats into enemy territory and eventually led to a touchdown. The Bearcats look to finish up an undefeated season next Saturday against Houston and hope it leads to a playoff berth.

AAC Conference Championship Game Prediction

The Cougars are just 1-5-1 against the spread in their last seven games versus the Bearcats and are 1-3-1 against the number in their last five games at Nippert Stadium. Houston has also dropped 11 of its last 15 games at the betting window following a win of more than 20 points and is 1-4 ATS in its last five games as an underdog. On the other side, the Bearcats are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games when facing an opponent with a winning record and have covered in eight of their last 11 home games.

AMERICAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREDICTION: CINCINNATI BEARCATS -10.5