The second game of the Thursday ESPN double-header sees Nebraska take on Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. SBR's Isaiah takes a look at this matchup and shares his Nebraska vs Cincinnati predictions:
Nebraska -6.5 (-115 bet365)
"Will Nebraska’s star quarterback, Dylan Raiola, finally live up to the hype? Last year, head coach Matt Rhule made a late-season switch to offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, and, once they made the change, Raiola’s passing yardage per game improved from 211.2 to 235.7 while improving his passing efficiency score from 128 to 136.
Those improvements may not seem like much, but those games included tilts with Wisconsin, Iowa, and Boston College. With a full offseason to work with Holgorsen and two transfer wide receivers in Nyziah Hunter (Cal) and Dane Key (Kentucky), I want Nebraska here because Raiola should improve in his sophomore season.
On the other side is a Cincinnati team that returns veteran quarterback Brendan Sorsby, whose career passing efficiency rating (132.9) is solid but not impressive. Importantly, that score dropped when he played on the road (126.5) – and that’s with a 173.3 versus Texas Tech inflating his average. He now must play behind a mostly new offensive line, and I expect Rhule’s defense to capitalize."
Brendan Sorsby Under 28.5 Rushing Yards (-115 bet365)
"Cincinnati lost a number of starters on the offensive line, and the Bearcats didn’t add much talent in the trenches from the portal, only getting guard Taran Tyo (Ball State) and tackle Joe Cotton (FCS South Dakota). Struggling RT Deondre Buford returns but might be a liability with his sub-55 PFF grade over the last two seasons.
Head coach Scott Satterfield may feel comfortable with this unit, but I don’t, especially not against a defensive mind like Rhule.
While Sorsby can run, as he averaged 37.7 rushing yards per game a year ago, I think the Huskers get to him for a few sacks. Since sack yardage counts as negative rushing yards for quarterbacks, that should negate most of his positive work as a scrambler."
Nebraska vs Cincinnati Odds:
Who comes out on top in this mid-west battle? Post your pick below.
Nebraska -6.5 (-115 bet365)
"Will Nebraska’s star quarterback, Dylan Raiola, finally live up to the hype? Last year, head coach Matt Rhule made a late-season switch to offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, and, once they made the change, Raiola’s passing yardage per game improved from 211.2 to 235.7 while improving his passing efficiency score from 128 to 136.
Those improvements may not seem like much, but those games included tilts with Wisconsin, Iowa, and Boston College. With a full offseason to work with Holgorsen and two transfer wide receivers in Nyziah Hunter (Cal) and Dane Key (Kentucky), I want Nebraska here because Raiola should improve in his sophomore season.
On the other side is a Cincinnati team that returns veteran quarterback Brendan Sorsby, whose career passing efficiency rating (132.9) is solid but not impressive. Importantly, that score dropped when he played on the road (126.5) – and that’s with a 173.3 versus Texas Tech inflating his average. He now must play behind a mostly new offensive line, and I expect Rhule’s defense to capitalize."
Brendan Sorsby Under 28.5 Rushing Yards (-115 bet365)
"Cincinnati lost a number of starters on the offensive line, and the Bearcats didn’t add much talent in the trenches from the portal, only getting guard Taran Tyo (Ball State) and tackle Joe Cotton (FCS South Dakota). Struggling RT Deondre Buford returns but might be a liability with his sub-55 PFF grade over the last two seasons.
Head coach Scott Satterfield may feel comfortable with this unit, but I don’t, especially not against a defensive mind like Rhule.
While Sorsby can run, as he averaged 37.7 rushing yards per game a year ago, I think the Huskers get to him for a few sacks. Since sack yardage counts as negative rushing yards for quarterbacks, that should negate most of his positive work as a scrambler."
Nebraska vs Cincinnati Odds:
Who comes out on top in this mid-west battle? Post your pick below.