Online sports betting has Cincinnati favored at home this Friday against West Virginia in a game that Tony Pike could start. Pike was the starting quarterback and a Heisman Trophy candidate for the Bearcats but got hurt. Backup Zach Collaros has been fantastic in relief as sportsbetting stats have shown but Pike is expected to get the start on Friday.
Online sports betting has Cincinnati as the top team in the Big East and #5 overall. Going back to Pike at quarterback might be a risk for Cincinnati but head coach Brian Kelly said that is what he will do. Collaros set a Big East record with 555 total yards in Saturday’s 47-45 victory over Connecticut. The Bearcats are 3-0 with Collaros at quarterback but Pike was medically cleared to play late last week and he has been fitted with a brace for his left, arm.
“If Tony’s fully healthy, he’s our starter,” Kelly said Monday. “[But] there’s so much that’s out of my hands relative to the medical, and then the risk factor. What’s the risk factor of putting him out there?” It is an interesting sportsbetting decision. “If you take Zach Collaros’ body of work the last three weeks, which has been outstanding, and you take Tony Pike’s body of work, Tony Pike’s the starter. There’s not even a question about that.”
The one difference between the two quarterbacks is that Collaros can run the ball and impact online sport betting that way. “I really had to spend some time thinking about this decision,” Kelly said. “It’s been a difficult one.” Online sport betting stats show Pike has completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 1,633 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions in six games. Collaros has completed 76 percent of his passes for 1,229 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception as online sport betting statistics showed.
He also has rushed for 288 yards and four scores this sportsbetting season. “There are a lot of pluses with both guys, but after careful consideration, Tony’s our guy,” Kelly said. “[He’s] 6-foot-6, can see the entire field, got a great arm. All the things he showed leading up to the season, I haven’t forgotten about any of that stuff.”
Cincinnati is very much in the national title picture in sportsbetting if something happens with a couple of the top teams. The Bearcats don’t have an easy road though as their two toughest online sport betting games remain. They host West Virginia on Friday in online sport betting and then close the sportsbetting season at Pittsburgh.