Cincy-SMU
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Spread: CIN -13

Betting odds courtesy of Bovada

Simply put, SMU is horrible. The team hasn’t won a game this season, going 0-5 through the first six weeks, and two weeks ago (last week was a bye) the Mustangs were crushed by East Carolina 45-24. This week the Mustangs will face Cincinnati, and though the Bearcats are just 2-3, it is still a 13-point favorite against lowly SMU.

The Mustangs rank near the bottom of most offensive categories, and the rushing game has been downright pathetic (45.4 yards per game). The Mustangs barely average a TD per game (7.2 points per contest) and allow nearly 50 a game.

QB Garrett Krstich has done an admirable job of trying to spearhead a very poor offense. He’s thrown 57 percent for completion, but averages just 5.1 yards per reception and has only thrown two TDs this season while having thrown two picks as well.

No Mustang RB averages more than four yards per game, and the top two rushers (Kevin Pope and K.C. Niemchi) have both rushed for 3.1 and 2.8 yards per carry, while accounting for no TDs at all. The lone rushing TD was scored by Prescott Lane, who still has just 50 yards on the season.

Cincy is 2-3 but has lost its last three contests. The Loss to then-No. 22 Ohio State may have been acceptable, but losing badly to Memphis and the Miami Hurricanes was less so. The Bearcats have allowed 50, 41 and 55 points in the last three weeks, which helps account for its horrible defensive stats, allowing 40.8 points per game to opponents.

One thing the Bearcats have done well is throw the football. The team ranks 11th in the NCAA in passing yardage, largely due to its lack of running backs. Sophomore QB Gunner Kiel has been sensational, with 1,612 yards on the season and a 3:1 TD/INT ratio. He had 418 yards and six TD passes in the 58-24 win over Toledo in Week 1.