Skip to main content

2022 Cincinnati Bearcats Team Futures Odds, Picks, and Preview: National Championship, Win Total, and Playoff Predictions

Henry John

Last Updated: July 20, 2022 3:06 AM EDT • 3 min 19 sec read.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 31: Tyler Scott #21 of the Cincinnati Bearcats carries the ball after a reception against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first quarter in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic for the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium on December 31, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by MATTHEW STOCKMAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Last year’s CFP darling has plenty of production to replace in 2022. However, with experience returning in the trenches on both sides of the ball, the Cincinnati Bearcats will once again be in the mix to win the American Athletic Conference. Check out Cincinnati's futures odds, picks, and preview for the upcoming season.

Last year, Luke Fickell and his Bearcats did what many people believed to be impossible. Despite competing in the AAC, Cincinnati qualified for the College Football Playoff following a perfect 13-0 campaign. The invite made UC the first non-Power 5 program ever to take part in the sport’s four-team playoff.

Of course, the Bearcats’ stay in the CFP was short-lived. Despite a defense laden with NFL-caliber talent, Cincinnati was overmatched by Alabama in its national semifinal game. Fast-forward to 2022, and Fickell’s coaching staff will be tasked with working in several new starters on both sides of the ball. 

Despite the turnover, fruitful recruiting efforts have resulted in high hopes for Cincinnati on the gridiron once again this fall. Last year’s perfect season may be too much to replicate, but a third straight AAC championship is well within reach.

Here’s our 2022 college football season preview for the Cincinnati Bearcats with a look at the team’s futures markets and our top picks (Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook and BetRivers).

Cincinnati's 2022 Futures Odds

https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/dtg7W/1/

Cincinnati 2022 Picks

To win national championship (+25000 via FanDuel)To win AAC (+230 via FanDuel)Under 9.5 regular-season wins (+102 via BetRivers)

To Win National Championship (+25000)

In order to win the national championship, Cincinnati would first have to make it back to the CFP. If last year served as any indication, the only possible way for a non-Power 5 school to make the playoff is for it to run the table and win its conference-title game. 

The list of departures from last year’s history-making team includes quarterback Desmond Ridder. It seems likely that both Ben Bryant and Evan Prater could see meaningful reps under center this season. 

Cincinnati is fortunate to return all five starters on its offensive line. That figures to make life easy for a deep stable of running backs that added LSU transfer Corey Kiner in the offseason.

Though there's plenty of hope for the offense thanks to the returning linemen, Cincinnati’s defense is in for a true overhaul and reload. The unit lost a half-dozen players from last year’s team to the NFL. Fortunately, there is plenty of talent returning along the defensive front.

For Cincinnati to have any shot at making the CFP, a road win at Arkansas in its season-opener will be vital. It will be interesting to see how the current 250-1 price fluctuates should the Bearcats spring the upset in Fayetteville over an SEC foe.

Check out the latest comprehensive and most trusted Sportsbook Reviews by SBR.

To Win AAC (+230)

Compared to the +110 price at BetRivers and the +180 listing at DraftKings Sportsbook, there is no denying the market value in FanDuel’s +230. In fact, the Bearcats are not even the shortest shot on the board at FanDuel. That honor belongs to UCF, a team that will stand directly in the way of Fickell’s squad on the season schedule.

With so much turnover on a defense that really was the heart and soul of last year’s team, the Bearcats’ realistic ceiling in 2022 is likely an American Athletic Conference title and New Year’s Six bowl bid.

The other big factor when it comes to betting UC to win the conference is that the season opener at Arkansas won't count against the Bearcats. Cincinnati’s league schedule is hardly a cakewalk, but getting to host East Carolina and Tulane at Nippert Stadium will be helpful. 

If the Bearcats can win at least one of their back-to-back road games at SMU and UCF, they will have a great chance to make it back to the AAC Championship Game for the fourth year in a row.

Under 9.5 Regular-Season Wins (+102)

Though Cincinnati is expected to contend for the AAC title once again this season, there's the possibility that all of the turnover on defense catches up with it. With the Bearcats’ season total sitting a half-win higher at BetRivers than other shops in the market, a plus-money price on the Under is certainly intriguing.

In all likelihood, Fickell and Co. will start the 2022 season with a loss at Arkansas. UC rounds out its non-conference portion of the schedule with a home date against Indiana. Although not much is expected of the Hoosiers this year, they are still a Power 5 opponent that Cincy must contend with.

Cincinnati opens up American Atheltic play with a road trip to Tulsa. Talent-wise, the Bearcats figure to have a decisive edge. However, the travel could make for some tougher sledding than many might expect.

Two consecutive road games at SMU and UCF to close out October are likely to hand Cincinnati at least one loss. With two more interesting matchups on the schedule against East Carolina and what should be a much-improved Tulane team, achieving double-digit wins will hardly be easy.

Where to Bet on Cincinnati Futures

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel SportsbookCaesars SportsbookDraftKings SportsbookPointsBetBetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

Cincinnati 2022 odds, picks, and preview made on 7/19/2022 at 2:54 p.m. ET

Written By:
Henry John
Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball, and NASCAR. He counts NFL, WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.