Cincinnati vs. VA Tech Military Bowl Pick
The Cincinnati Bearcats are laying 6.5 points to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first of six bowl games on Monday. Following their 10-win regular season are the Bearcats worth a flier for bettors or will the Hokies surprise?
Game Snapshot
258 Cincinnati Bearcats vs. 257 Virginia Tech Hokies
12:00 p.m. ET, Monday, December 31, 2018
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Bearcats are 6.5-point favorites to beat the Hokies. The total, meanwhile, sits at 53.5 points. As of this writing, 56% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Hokies.
Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati sophomore RB Michael Warren (undisclosed) said, “I’m ready to play in the bowl game.” Warren (5’11/218) did not take the field in Cincinnati’s regular-season finale against ECU back on Nov. 23, but he’s returned to the practice fold as the Bearcats continue to prep for their Military Bowl date with Virginia Tech on New Year’s Eve. The sophomore rushed for 1,163 yards and 17 touchdowns during the 2018 campaign.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech HC Justin Fuente told reporters on Monday that it’s unlikely that redshirt sophomore QB Josh Jackson will play in the Military Bowl. Jackson has returned to practice, but he’s been out since late September because of a broken fibula, and he hasn’t done enough to suggest that he’ll be able to play in a game. There’s a chance this changes with the game not taking place until New Year’s Eve, but right now, it appears very likely that Ryan Willis will be under center against the Bearcats for the game.
Betting Trends
Cincinnati
The over is 7-2 in the Bearcats’ last nine games played in the month of December.
Virginia Tech
The over is 5-0 in the Hokies’ last five games versus the AAC.
Prediction
The key today is Cincinnati’s rushing attack versus a horrendous Virginia Tech run defense. The Hokies allowed 492 rushing yards to Pittsburgh on 36 rush attempts, good for 13.7 yards per rush. That’s insane. The Bearcats have a top-10 rushing offense in the nation, average 5.1 yards per rush and rank 36th in rush explosiveness. Yes, Cincinnati had a weak strength of schedule this season. No, I don’t think that’ll matter when the Bearcats are running the ball down the Hokies’ throats all afternoon.
Military Bowl Prediction: Cincinnati Bearcats -6.5