Free College Football Pick

Illinois at No. 5 Cincinnati

Friday, November 27, 2009 12:00 PM ET -  ABC

Illinois will be ready to fight as they take on the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats.  The Bearcats are most currently listed as a 21 point favorite.  With only 3 wins, Illinois has struggled to get anything going this season.  Cincinnati has managed to hang on over the past two weeks with close wins over Connecticut and West Virginia.  They will play to stay undefeated as they hang on to national title hopes.  Two things will likely need to happen for them to get their shot at playing in the big game:

1.  They’ll need to beat Pittsburgh in the Big East Conference title game next week.
2. Texas will need to lose against either Texas A&M or Nebraska

Cincinnati is coming off a bye week.  They likely spent time while they were off taking a look at their defense.  The Bearcats allowed over 200 yards in each of their last 2 matchups.  QB Tony Pike, who injured his wrist, sat out for three games and saw limited time on the field against West Virginia.  Reports suggest that he’ll start against Illinois.  This season Pike is completing 64 percent of his passes.  He has thrown for 17 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.

The Fighting Illini will be playing to spoil the fun.  With a 3-7 record, a bowl game is completely out of the picture for the second straight year.  They have some decent offensive tools, but have struggled to stop other teams from scoring.  Illinois is ranked number 10 in the conference in total defense, allowing about 400 yards per game.

The Bearcats shouldn’t have a problem taking another win this week, but expect Illinois to put up a fight.  Expect the Fighting Illini to come within a couple touchdowns.

Cincinnati Betting Stats: