Kansas vs Cincinnati Odds & Prediction: Back Jayhawks to Cover
Jamie Squire/Getty Images. Pictured: Kansas’ Mason Fairchild (left) and Devin Neal (right).
Kansas vs Cincinnati Odds
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -115 | 58.5 -110o / -110u | -275 |
| Cincinnati Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -105 | 58.5 -110o / -110u | +225 |
A new Big 12 series begins tonight in Cincinnati when the Bearcats host the Kansas Jayhawks.
After years of success for the Bearcats and years of awfulness for the Jayhawks, these teams have switched places in a sense this season. Kansas is thriving at 7-4, while the jump to the Power Five has been a huge adjustment for 3-8 Cincinnati.
Do the Bearcats have one last stand in them or will Kansas complete its first 8-win season since 2008? Let's take a look at the Kansas vs Cincinnati odds and make a pick and prediction in our college football betting preview for Saturday, Nov. 25.
It's hard not to like this Jayhawks team. For one, they have a legit chance to go 8-4, something that hasn't happened since Mark Mangino was patrolling the sidelines during the Great Recession.
Even wilder, Kansas was down to its third-string quarterback last weekend and still almost beat No. 19 Kansas State. It all goes to show what a great job head coach Lance Leipold has done in Lawrence to elevate the Jayhawks program.
Speaking of quarterbacks, it looks like backup Jason Bean will be able to play in this game. Leipold said that he was available to play against K-State, but due to missing practice time with a head injury, Leipold kept him out of the game.
Bean playing would be good news for Kansas. He's filled in admirably after starter Jalon Daniels went down with a back injury in September and notably led the Jayhawks to an upset win over Oklahoma.
Bean has some wiggle in the pocket and has thrown for a respectable 1,431 yards, 10 touchdowns and four picks, which has helped Kansas rank 16th in Passing Success Rate.
The Jayhawks run game has also been good, with Devin Neal leading the way with 1,103 yards and 13 touchdowns on 6.4 yards per carry. Add in second back Daniel Hishaw Jr. (574 yards, 8 TDs, 5.2 YPC), and it makes sense why KU is up at 20th in Rushing Success Rate.
Although it ranks sixth in Havoc Rate, the Jayhawks defense has been much less effective.
Kansas is down at 99th in Rush Success Rate Allowed and 111th in Quality Drives Allowed, so the Bearcats will have some room to operate.
One bright spot for the Jayhawks defense has been Austin Booker, whose eight sacks are tied for 22nd in the nation.
The Bearcats are learning the hard way what life is like in the Big 12. It certainly ain't intramurals.
To put it simply, four of Cincinnati's seven conference losses have been by double digits, and its close losses were to fellow Big 12 newcomers (BYU, UCF) and to a bad Baylor team. The Bearcats were at least able to beat Houston, but overall, this has been a season of growing pains.
Former Florida and Arizona State quarterback Emory Jones has been OK this year with 2,115 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 picks to go along with 499 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground. His efforts just haven't been enough.
Cincinnati has not surpassed 30 points in any game this season other than Week 1 against FCS Eastern Kentucky, and that just won't cut it.
Its run game does rank 38th in Rushing Success thanks to Jones and running back Corey Kiner, who has 941 yards and five scores. Kansas does have a fairly porous run defense, so the run game is Cincy's best opportunity for offensive success in this one.
Not much is scary about the Bearcats defense. They give up 28.3 points per game and rank 68th in Rush Success Rate Allowed, 104 in Pass Success Rate Allowed and 95th in Quality Drives Allowed.
All of those metrics show why they've suffered some nasty blowouts in Big 12 play.
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Kansas and Cincinnati match up statistically:
Kansas Offense vs. Cincinnati Defense
 | Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 20 | 68 | |
| Line Yards | 8 | 54 | |
| Pass Success | 16 | 104 | |
| Havoc | 27 | 13 | |
| Finishing Drives | 36 | 82 | |
| Quality Drives | 23 | 95 |
Cincinnati Offense vs. Kansas Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 38 | 99 | |
| Line Yards | 29 | 83 | |
| Pass Success | 66 | 57 | |
| Havoc | 39 | 6 | |
| Finishing Drives | 73 | 105 | |
| Quality Drives | 64 | 111 |
Pace of Play / Other
| ||
| PFF Tackling | 106 | 82 |
| PFF Coverage | 48 | 114 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 49 | 54 |
| Middle 8 | 14 | 83 |
| Seconds per Play | 29.2 (108) | 26.2 (50) |
| Rush Rate | 61.6% (13) | 59.1% (25) |
Kansas vs Cincinnati
Betting Pick & Prediction
Kansas is a six-point favorite at pretty much every major sportsbook, and that seems about right.
Yeah, the game is in Cincinnati, but the Jayhawks will be used to the Midwestern temperatures, and I don't expect a super raucous environment at Nippert Stadium for a bad football team.
The Jayhawks have been better all season long, and I don't think that changes tonight. Take Kansas to cover.
Pick: Kansas -6
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