Cincinnati Football: Week 13 preview, odds, predictions against Tulane

In addition to celebrating Senior Day, Cincinnati is hoping to clinch a spot in the AAC title game against Tulane on Friday at Nippert Stadium. Check out our Week 13 preview including odds, predictions and pregame quotes prior to kick off!

The Bearcats are coming off a blowout win at Temple but senior quarterback Ben Bryant suffered a foot injury and is questionable against Tulane. Evan Prater played well in Bryant’s absence and could get his first career start on Friday.

Tulane is led by a talented group of veteran players that can cause problems for the Bearcats behind an explosive offense and aggressive defense. Luke Fickell’s team will have to come out energized in order to combat Tulane’s intensity.

According to WynnBET, Cincinnati opened as 2-point favorites over Tulane with kick off set for Friday at noon on ABC. The winner will host the AAC championship game next Saturday, while the loser is likely eliminated from contention.

Cincinnati Football: Week 13 preview, odds, predictions against Tulane

• Date: Friday, November 25 at 12:00 PM
• Location: Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati
• TV Broadcast: ABC and fuboTV
• Series History: Bearcats trail 7-10

The biggest concern is who will start under center with Bryant’s status currently unknown but it will be just as important to establish the ground game early. Cincinnati’s offense has struggled in recent weeks and an inconsistent rushing attack is a big factor.

Senior running back duo Charles McClelland and Ryan Montgomery will be honored during Senior Day, and will look to help fuel the Bearcats to a critical win over Tulane. My prediction is Cincinnati will escape with a 23-21 win to stay unbeaten at Nippert Stadium.

In a recent press conference, Fickell previewed the regular season finale per Cincinnati Athletics.

"“You want them to embrace it. They have earned that and I don’t think it applies any more pressure. The pressure is applied from within. I always try to remind them and myself to enjoy these things that we’ve created because it doesn’t always happen like this. You don’t always get to the end of November and  you’re playing for a championship in the last game. If you have good fortune to put yourself in that position, there’s pressure that comes with, but it’s nothing that wasn’t on us last week or the week before. We’ve had the opportunity to play Tulane most every year and we’ve seen how they’ve consistently grown in what they do. You can just see how they’ve developed. Not just offensively, defensively or special teams but the whole team and program. It’s not a surprise to me that they’re in this situation with a lot of older guys. Whether they were picked very high at the start of the year or not, that’s a really good football team that does it the right way.”"