Cincinnati Bearcats vs West Virginia Mountaineers Prediction, 10/17/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Cincinnati Bearcats vs West Virginia Mountaineers

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026

Location: Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV

TV: TNT

Odds/Point Spread: Mountaineers (-2.5)

Total/Over-Under: 62.5

The Cincinnati Bearcats (4-1) are headed to Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday, October 17, 2026 where they will meet the West Virginia Mountaineers (3-3). Cincinnati is 2.5-point underdogs. The betting total comes in at 62.5.

The Cincinnati Bearcats come into this matchup with a record of 4-1 for this year. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Bearcats faced the Arizona Wildcats and went home with a loss by a final score of 34-7. In all, they ran 57 plays which converted into 227 yds. The Cincinnati Bearcats ended up running the ball 28 different times and accumulated 74 yards, which came out to an average of 2.6 yards per carry. In the running game, the Bearcats gave up 238 yards on 41 attempts, which averages out to 5.8 yards per rush allowed. Cincinnati conceded 25 pass completions on 37 attempts for 284 yds, and a completion percentage of 67.6%.

The Bearcats have earned 2,138 total yards for the year. When it comes to getting in the endzone, Cincinnati has earned 6 touchdowns via the pass and 17 touchdowns via the ground. They have surrendered the football 2 times. Cincinnati has recorded 102 1st downs as a unit, and they have been called for 36 penalties for 332 yds. As a unit they average 230.8 yards in the run game which ranks them 12th in the country. When it comes to putting the ball in the endzone, the Cincinnati Bearcats hold an average of 33.8 points per outing.

The Bearcats rank 66th in the country regarding the opposition scoring, giving up 23.2 PPG. They are allowing an average of 4.5 yards per rushing attempt and 141.6 yards on the ground per contest for the season. In total, they have given up 708 rushing yards through 5 games. In terms of passing yards, the Bearcats have conceded 1,300 yds which has them sitting in 95th in college football. They have conceded 260.0 yards per outing via the pass and giving up a completion percentage of 61.0%. In total, they are surrendering 401.6 yards per contest ranking them 115th in college football. They have relinquished 5 touchdowns by air in addition to 8 touchdowns pounding the rock.

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The Mountaineers head into this game 3-3 for this year. When they last stepped on the gridiron, the Mountaineers took a loss by a final score of 52-31 when they played the Arizona Wildcats. The Mountaineers finished the game with 522 yards while they ran 104 plays (5.0 yards per play). West Virginia rushed for 4.0 yds per attempt, finishing the game with 303 yds on 76 attempts. West Virginia relinquished 27 rushing attempts for 141 yds (5.2 yds per rush). The Mountaineers secondary allowed a completion rate of 70.8%, relinquishing 341 yards on 17 out of 24 passing.

The West Virginia Mountaineers average 480.3 yards per game, ranking them 13th in Division 1. The West Virginia offense has racked up 309 penalty yards on 37 violations, which ranks 63rd in the nation in terms of giving up free yards. They hold an average of 295.5 yards per game via the rush and have run for 1,773 yards overall. They have tossed 1 pick while allowing opponents to recover 6 fumbles and they have been able to obtain 140 first downs. When looking at their ability to score points, the Mountaineers are ranked 32nd in the nation averaging 36.3 points per outing. For the season thus far, the Mountaineers have thrown for a total of 1,109 yards through the air as well as an average of 184.8 passing yards per outing, which ranks 112th in D-1.

The Mountaineers are allowing 32.7 points per game, which has them ranked 124th in college football. West Virginia has allowed a total of 983 yards rushing (163.8 yards/game) as well as 9 touchdowns by way of the ground game so far this year. They have allowed the opposition 14 touchdowns through the air and 297.0 yards/outing, which has them in 136th in D-1. The Mountaineers defense has been on the field for 399 plays, which has them ranked 113th in college football. They have totaled 3 fumbles and 4 interceptions for the season. This year, they have relinquished 196 points in total.

Who will win tonight's Bearcats/Mountaineers college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Mountaineers -2.5

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