S FLORIDA vs CINCINNATI
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, November 10, 2018
Where: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: -12
PREDICTION: CINCINNATI , S FLORIDA

Oddsmakers currently have the CINCINNATI listed as -12 point favorites versus the S FLORIDA, while the game’s total is sitting at 55.

No. 23 Cincinnati can reach the American Athletic Conference Championship by winning its last three games and that run must start with a victory at home against reeling South Florida on Saturday night. The Bearcats blanked Navy 42-0 last week for its second straight victory after an overtime loss to Temple and have won eight games – tying the amount they recorded in the past two seasons combined.

“It’s amazing,” Cincinnati junior wide receiver Rashad Medaris told reporters of the turnaround. “We’ve worked hard for this. Just an amazing feeling.” The Bearcats lean on their defense, which is sixth in the nation in points per game against (14.0) and fifth overall in total yards allowed (276.1) – led by senior defensive tackle Cortez Broughton, who is second in the American in tackles for loss (1.67 per game). USF won its first seven games this season, including six when trailing at some point in the contest, but has struggled defensively while losing the last two games to squash hopes of a championship in the American and a trip to a major bowl. “You’ve got three games to go play and they’re all conference games, so you don’t ever think the season is getting away because you never know what’s going to happen,” Bulls coach Charlie Strong told reporters. “… Within this conference, you can’t really say teams are so much head-and-shoulder above other teams. You catch them on any given day and anything can happen.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Cincinnati -14

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA (7-2, 3-2 American): The Bulls gave up 98 points in losses to Houston and Tulane the last two weeks and Strong told reporters his defense has to be more physical to stop the run by winning more one-on-one blocks. USF also got held to 102 yards on the ground last week against Tulane as leading rusher Jordan Cronkrite (946 yards, 7.0 per carry) was limited to 13 on six carries. USF could get freshman receiver Randall St. Felix (24 catches, 484 yards, two TDs) and junior tight end Mitchell Wilcox (28, 378, one) back from injuries that held them out of two games and one contest, respectively.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (8-1, 4-1): While the defense has been key all season, the Bearcats have been productive on offense with multi-purpose freshman quarterback Desmond Ridder taking over the helm. Ridder has completed 63.1 percent of his passes with 13 TDs and five interceptions while rushing for 426 yards and five scores to augment sophomore running back Michael Warren II, who has gained 931 yards on the ground with 14 touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Kahlil Lewis is the top target for Ridder with 36 receptions – 12 in the win against SMU on Oct. 27 – and 453 yards with five touchdowns.

EXTRA POINTS

1. South Florida senior LB Khalid McGee, who leads the team with 71 tackles, will return after being suspended a game for pushing a coach.

2. Cincinnati LB Perry Young, who owns a team-leading 45 tackles, is likely lost for the season with a knee injury.

3. The Bearcats lead the all-time series 8-7, but the Bulls earned a 33-3 victory last season in Tampa.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 31, South Florida 17

The post S FLORIDA vs. CINCINNATI 11/10/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

E CAROLINA vs S FLORIDA
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 22, 2018
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: -22
PREDICTION: S FLORIDA , E CAROLINA

Oddsmakers currently have the S FLORIDA listed as -22 point favorites versus the E CAROLINA, while the game’s total is sitting at 67.5.

South Florida hopes to avoid needing another fourth-quarter comeback and remain unbeaten when it hosts well-rested East Carolina in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams Saturday. USF has scored 39 unanswered points in the final quarter of the last two contests, rallying from 10 down to beat Georgia Tech at home before scoring 18 points in the final 15 minutes to beat Illinois 25-19 in Chicago last week.

“We can’t keep putting (ourselves) in this situation,” Bulls quarterback Blake Barnett told the Tampa Bay Times after throwing two touchdown passes in the final 14:53 last Saturday. “Obviously everyone’s ecstatic and over the top, it was a very dramatic and emotional game. But we have to come out stronger at the start of the game so we don’t put ourselves in a hole.” USF coach Charlie Strong told reporters he likes the resiliency of his players and East Carolina will have to show the same type of fight after a difficult few weeks following a stunning 41-19 win over North Carolina. The Pirates, who had last weekend’s game at Virginia Tech postponed as Hurricane Florence crashed into the East Coast, moved their camp to Orlando, Fla. to prepare for the matchup against the Bulls. “We’re playing with a lot of confidence, we’re practicing with a lot of confidence,” East Carolina coach Scottie Montgomery told reporters. “We’re really excited to be able to play again. … When the lights come on, our guys will be ready to play.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPNews. LINE: South Florida -22

ABOUT EAST CAROLINA (1-1): The Pirates rebounded from a season-opening loss to North Carolina A&T by registering 510 yards of offense against the Tar Heels, including 290 through the air from sophomore quarterback Reid Herring. Senior Trevon Brown had 90 of his team-leading 147 receiving yards versus North Carolina and is among four Pirates with at least 10 receptions in the early going while Herring has completed 57.7 percent of his passes for 599 yards. Senior Anthony Scott leads the team with 107 yards rushing to go along with a TD and senior defensive end Nate Harvey has 5.5 tackles for loss (1.5 sacks) in the first two games.

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA (3-0): Barnett is averaging 306 yards passing while accounting for 10 touchdowns (seven passing) and boasts a stable of four players with at least 182 receiving yards in the three wins. Freshman Randall St. Felix leads that group with 286 yards and senior Tyre McCants has a team-best 19 receptions for another 207 – needing 94 yards to move from seventh to fourth on the school’s all-time list. Junior Jordan Cronkrite leads the ground attack with 175 yards and freshman Duran Bell Jr. (69) is questionable again due to an ankle injury while senior linebacker Khalid McGee is on a torrid pace with a team-best 34 tackles.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Bulls can become the fastest FBS team in Florida to reach 150 victories in program history Saturday.

2. South Florida has won seven of the eight previous matchups with the Pirates, including a 61-31 triumph at East Carolina in 2017.

3. The Pirates have lost their last four road openers after falling 56-20 at West Virginia last season.

PREDICTION: USF 42, East Carolina 21

The post E CAROLINA vs. S FLORIDA 9/22/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

GEORGIA TECH vs S FLORIDA
When: 12:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 8, 2018
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

TV: 12:00 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: S FLORIDA , GEORGIA TECH

Oddsmakers currently have the S FLORIDA listed as point favorites versus the GEORGIA TECH, while the game’s total is sitting at .

South Florida may not have a better chance in the first two months of the season to show it is a factor on the national scene than Saturday afternoon when the Bulls host ACC foe Georgia Tech. USF of the American Athletic Conference unveiled its retooled offense last week and registered 515 yards in a 34-14 victory over Elon while Georgia Tech was rolling over Alcorn State 41-0, as both teams opened against FCS opponents before their first-ever meeting.

“You look at it, we’re a Group of Five, we’re not Power Five,” South Florida second-year head coach Charlie Strong told reporters. “So then when you do get a chance to play a Power Five team, you have to go play well. Because what that does is, it opens up people’s eyes.” Former Alabama quarterback Blake Barnett threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns in his team debut for the Bulls, who will need to be better defending the run than in their opener (192 yards against) as the Yellow Jackets feature a flexbone triple-option offense. Georgia Tech rushed for 439 yards against Alcorn State, including 77 and a touchdown by senior quarterback TaQuon Marshall, but head coach Paul Johnson was not pleased with the overall performance. “I didn’t think we were consistent,” Johnson told reporters. “I didn’t like how we played considering who we were playing. We didn’t throw the ball well. We didn’t block well. We turned too many guys loose inside at times.”

TV: Noon ET, ESPN2 or ABC. LINE: Georgia Tech -3.5

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (1-0): Marshall completed 9-of-18 passes for 104 yards and one touchdown to senior Brad Stewart, who gained a team-high 49 yards on four catches. Freshman running back Jordan Mason rushed for a team-high 85 yards and a score while junior KirVonte Benson, who finished last season with 1,053 yards, added another 75 along with a pair of TDs for the Yellow Jackets. The defense recorded its first shutout in 57 games last Saturday, allowing just 146 total yards, and is likely to have more depth as cornerback Lamont Simmons (hamstring) and linebacker Bruce Jordan-Swilling (undisclosed) could return to the lineup.

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA (1-0): Barnett, who played one game for Alabama in 2016, completed 24-of-34 passes last week and also ran for a score while freshman Randall St. Felix emerged with seven catches for 143 yards and a TD. The Bulls gained just 3.9 yards per carry in the opener with freshman Johnny Ford’s 43 yards leading the way, but they expect to have Florida transfer Jordan Cronkrite back in the lineup after he missed the Elon game with an undisclosed injury. Senior linebacker Khalid McGee and senior safety Jaymon Thomas each had a career-high 11 tackles last week and the Bulls picked off a pair of passes after totaling 20 in 2017 – second in the nation.

EXTRA POINTS

1. USF senior WR Tyre McCants needs 35 receiving yards to move into 10th on the school’s all-time list, and 47 for ninth.

2. Marshall has 19 career rushing touchdowns, tied for fourth all time among Georgia Tech QBs with Shawn Jones.

3. The Yellow Jackets have rushed for at least 400 yards five times in their last 12 contests, dating back to 2017.

PREDICTION: South Florida 34, Georgia Tech 31

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