The Boston College Eagles will lean on their offense when they take on the No. 21 Cincinnati Bearcats in the 2020 Birmingham Bowl. The Eagles (6-6), who have lost six of their last 10 games overall, have won two of their last three meetings with Cincinnati, while the Bearcats (10-3) have won nine of their last 11 games. The game, to be played on Thursday, will kick off at 3 p.m. ET from Legion Field Stadium. Cincinnati won the last meeting between the teams, 24-6, on Sept. 27, 1997.
The Bearcats are 7.5-point favorites in the latest Boston College vs. Cincinnati odds, while the over-under is 53, down 2.5 from where the total opened. Before making any Cincinnati vs. Boston College picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $4,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also went a sizzling 8-2 on all picks against the spread during Championship Week. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Boston College vs. Cincinnati. We can tell you that the model is leaning under, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see it. Now, here are the college football betting lines and trends for Cincinnati vs. Boston College:
- Boston College vs. Cincinnati spread: Bearcats -7.5
- Boston College vs. Cincinnati over-under: 53 points
- Boston College vs. Cincinnati money line: Bearcats -274, Eagles +222
- BC: 26th in turnover margin at plus-six
- CIN: 25-13 under third-year coach Luke Fickell
The model knows the Bearcats have been opportunistic all season on defense and are eighth nationally in forced turnovers with 25, including 16 interceptions. Cincinnati is 36th in turnover margin at plus-five and finished the regular season 11th in defensive touchdowns with three, all on interception returns. The Bearcats are 6-2 against the spread in their last eight games on FieldTurf.
Offensively, junior running back Michael Warren II has carried the load for the Bearcats this season, rushing 240 times for 1,160 yards (4.8 average) and 14 touchdowns. He has rushed for 100 yards in three of the past four games and came one short of doing it in the AAC title game, rushing 23 times for 99 yards and two scores.
But just because the Bearcats have played well against unranked opponents does not guarantee they will cover the Boston College vs. Cincinnati spread in the Birmingham Bowl 2020 on Thursday.
That's because Boston College is sixth in the nation in rushing offense at 267.8 yards per game and 25th in total offense (451.3). The Eagles set a school record for rushing yards in a game with 496 in a 58-27 victory at Syracuse. Boston College, which averages 30.9 points per game, is 24th in third down conversion percentage at .454.
With junior running back AJ Dillon foregoing the game to focus on the NFL Draft after rushing for a team-high 1,685 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, sophomore running back David Bailey becomes the Eagles' main weapon on the ground. Bailey has carried the rock 140 times for 816 yards and seven touchdowns.
So who wins Boston College vs. Cincinnati in the Birmingham Bowl 2020? And which side of the spread can you bank on in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Cincinnati vs. Boston College spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $4,000 on its top-rated college football picks, and find out.
