Cincinnati vs. Utah Prediction & Odds: College Football Week 10 Betting Preview

It’s a Big XII battle in Salt Lake as our Cincinnati vs. Utah prediction analyzes why No. 24 Utah is such a massive favorite over the higher-ranked No. 17 Cincinnati.

Ultimately, our college football Week 10 predictions identified more value on the total than the spread in this matchup as we see reasons to believe both offenses will produce for sports bettors on Saturday night.

The action kicks off for Cincinnati vs. Utah from Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Saturday at 10:15 p.m. ET (ESPN). Utah is a 10.5-point betting favorite.

✅ Cincinnati vs. Utah prediction & expert picks

See all of our experts' college football picks for Week 10.

📊 Cincinnati vs. Utah odds

See live college football odds for every game in Week 10.

🏈 Cincinnati vs. Utah preview & score prediction

Cincinnati and Utah combine to pile up 69.1 PPG. Both offenses boast top 15 adjusted efficiencies, with Cincinnati's unit ranking 4th in the country due to its balance.

The Bearcats average 8.4 yards per pass attempt (18th in FBS) and 5.5 yards per rush attempt (10th in FBS). The question will be whether Cincinnati's attack holds up against a Utah defense that ranks 9th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency.

While Cincy has put up the aforementioned impressive offensive numbers, this offense hasn't faced a defense that ranks among the FBS top 40 in adjusted efficiency. That calls into question whether the Bearcats will be able to maintain their typical pace against the Utes, who allow only 15.0 PPG.

But Utah’s defense hasn’t been tested much, either

Of course, the inverse can also apply. Utah has faced only two offenses with an adjusted efficiency in the top 35, with those teams scoring 24 (BYU) and 34 (Texas Tech) against it. Given that context, I don't see Cincinnati's potent offense turning into a pumpkin.

Three of four Utah home games have gone Over, while both of Cincinnati's road games have hit the Over (by an average margin of +11.3 PPG).

We like both offenses to produce, so our favorite pick is Over 55.5 with -110 odds from BetMGM. The implied probability at those odds is 52.38%, and the profit on a $10 bet would be $9.09..

Score prediction: Utah 37, Cincinnati 27

🆚 Cincinnati vs. Utah matchup to watch

Brendan Sorsby vs. Utah run defense

Utah ranks 58th in FBS in cumulative run defense, allowing 146.9 rushing yards per game. Specifically against opposing quarterbacks, the Utes have been susceptible to gains on the ground.

Among mobile quarterbacks that have faced Utah, Bear Bachmeier (64 yards), Jeff Sims (52 yards) and Will Hammond (61 yards) have cleared this rushing line against the Utes this season.

Brendan Sorsby has averaged 8.6 rushing attempts per game while compiling 6.2 yards per rush. He has reached 52 or more rushing yards in four of his game games, and has only fallen below 36 rushing yards once all year.

A projected negative game script suggests the potential for more urgency for Sorsby to take off and run to keep the chains moving for his team.

Best prop bet: Brendan Sorsby Over 40.5 rushing yards (-115 via BetMGM)

📈 Cincinnati vs. Utah betting trends

🌤️ Cincinnati vs. Utah weather

The forecasted temperature for this matchup on Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City is 43 degrees with a 0% chance of precipitation. 

Clear conditions are anticipated. Winds are expected at 7 mph SE with gusts up to 8 mph.

📺 How to watch Cincinnati vs. Utah

• Date: Saturday, Nov. 1
• Kickoff: 10:15 p.m. ET
• Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium (Salt Lake City)
• TV: ESPN