Cincinnati Football: Last-minute predictions as the Bearcats meet Temple

The Bearcats are fresh off a narrow win over East Carolina and must avoid a slip up at Temple in order to remain in AAC title contention. Kick off is set for this evening at 4:00 PM on ESPNU and fuboTV.

Temple comes in with a 3-7 record but has looked a lot better in recent weeks behind a dynamic passing attack. In the last three games, the Owls are putting up 36.7 points and 366.0 passing yards.

True freshman quarterback EJ Warner took over the starting job in September and has steadily improved. Warner threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns in a 54-28 win over South Florida earlier this month.

Even though Temple will fall short of bowl eligibility, an upset over the Bearcats would be a major victory as Cincinnati attempts to stay in the race for a third consecutive AAC championship.

Cincinnati Football: Last-minute predictions as the Bearcats meet Temple

• Date: Saturday, November 19 at 4:00 PM
• Location: Lincoln Financial in Philadelphia
• TV Broadcast: ESPNU and fuboTV
• Series History: Bearcats trail 9-13-1

Cincinnati is currently a 17-point favorite with the over/under set at 51 total points per WynnBET. My prediction is the Bearcats will jump out to a lead in the first quarter and hold off Temple in a 31-17 win.

Despite being heavy favorites, Cincinnati expects a fight from the Owls. Luke Fickell’s team should be able to secure a win over Temple and set up a clash against Tulane with a title game berth at stake.

In a recent press conference, Wilson Huber touched on the Bearcats’ mentality via Cincinnati Athletics.

"“I think ultimately we just find a way to get it done. In the past, maybe we’ve been a more dominant defense but like those teams of the past, we find a way to get the job done in most circumstances. That just goes back to what we’re trying to do. We fight and get after it until the final whistle. I’ve seen the evolution of a lot of these Cincinnati teams under coach Fick. No matter what situation we’re in, there’s no panic on the sideline. You never see guys get out of themselves because of the score. We’ve seen time and time again that if we do what we need to regardless of the situation, we will play ourselves back into the game.”"