Teams that took very different routes to secure spots for the 2018 Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman meet at noon ET on New Year's Eve as the Cincinnati Bearcats take on the Virginia Hokies in Annapolis' Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. It has been an up-and-down season for the Hokies, who suffered a midseason, four-game losing skid, but then rallied to win their final two games to secure a bowl bid. The Bearcats have rattled off 10 wins this season out of the American Athletic Conference and are seeking their first bowl win since 2012. Cincinnati is a 6.5-point favorite and the Over-Under is 52.5 in the latest Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati odds. Before you make any Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati picks of your own, be sure to check out the 2018 Military Bowl predictions from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The model made some huge calls on Championship Week, including nailing Ohio State (-16.5) against Northwestern and Oklahoma (-9.5) against Texas. And when it comes to all top-rated picks, the model has been red-hot, entering the 2018 college football bowl season on a blistering 45-25 run. The same model has also nailed almost 70 percent of bowl games straight-up over the past three years. Anybody who has been following it is way, way up.
Now the model has studied the latest 2018 Military Bowl odds, and we can tell you it is leaning to the Under. But its stronger pick is against the spread, saying one side hits in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can get that one only at SportsLine.
The model has factored in Cincinnati's dominant defense when evaluating this matchup. Playmakers abound on that side of the ball for the Bearcats, including safety James Wiggins. He's an intense competitor with tremendous make-up speed that is capable of erasing mistakes by cornerbacks. He has three interceptions on the season and doesn't allow receivers to race past him.
Defensive linemen Cortez Broughton and Kimoni Fitz have combined for 10 sacks and numerous quarterback hurries. Their relentless pressure has been a big reason why Cincinnati yields just 16.1 points per contest. Cincinnati is 6-5 against the spread versus FBS teams this season, compared to just 4-7 for Virginia Tech. They're also 4-3 against the spread as a favorite and have a massive point differential of plus-15.5, compared to minus-5.1 for the Hokies.
But just because the Bearcats have a supreme defense doesn't mean they'll be able to cover the 2018 Military Bowl spread.
The Hokies like to throw on early downs which means plenty of touches for receivers. Damon Hazelton is Virginia Tech's leading wideout with 745 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He's a burner who picks up big chunks of yardage -- 16.6 yards per catch. Lining up with Hazelton are Eric Kumah and Tre Turner, who have combined for over 1,000 yards and 10 scores.
And Tech enters the postseason playing perhaps its best football of the season. A rivalry win over Virginia helped salvage an otherwise uninspiring year, and the Hokies then took care of business in a make-up game against Marshall that helped them get bowl eligible for the 26th straight year, the longest-active streak in college football.
Who wins Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech? And which side covers in well over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to be all over New Year's Eve, all from the incredible computer model that has returned over $4,200 to $100 bettors, and find out.
