Sportbooks betting has seen Cincinnati favored in every game except one this season.The Bearcats have one of the best offenses in the nation as sportbooks betting statistics indicate and it will be even better now that starting quarterback Tony Pike is back. He is expected to get the start on Friday as 5th-ranked Cincinnati host Illinois in sportsbooks action.
Sportbooks betting has seen Cincinnati go 10-0 straight up this season and a profitable 6-4 against the sportsbooks pointspread. Pike and wide receiver Mardy Gilyard have both had great sportbooks betting seasons. “The connection hasn’t gone anywhere,” said Gilyard, “All week we’ve been clicking. We’ve got our timing back. My man is back again. He’s fully loaded and ready to throw.” Pike was hurt in the sportbooks betting game against South Florida and missed sportbooks games as backup Zach Collaros took over. Collaros was great as sportsbooks numbers show, but Pike was having a Heisman Trophy year before he was hurt.
Cincinnati had a bye last sportbooks betting week and Pike had a chance to really heal and practice. Gilyard leads the Big East in receiving but hasn’t done as much without Pike under center. He is definitely happy to have his starting quarterback back in the lineup. “He tells me every day his arm feels good,” said Gilyard, “My main concern is how he’s going to feel when he gets hit and falls. He’s like, ‘Buddy, don’t worry about it. We’re good. We’re going to go out here on senior day and take care of business.”‘
Pike has thrown for 1,649 yards and 17 touchdowns with only three interceptions this sportbooks betting season. Sportsbooks info indicates that head coach Brian Kelly said that Pike was back in synch this week. “I felt like (Monday) was the first day really where there was a smooth continuity with Tony back out there,” Kelly said. “You could see the little things coming back to where he was before he got injured.”
Illinois expects to have quarterback Juice Williams in this sportbooks betting contest against Cincinnati. Williams was hurt against Minnesota and missed last week’s sportbooks betting loss to Northwestern.
Cincinnati has won its last 16 regular-season sportbooks betting games, including 11 straight at home. “We’re trying to end it with a bang,” Gilyard said. The Bearcats are almost three touchdown sportbooks betting favorites at sportsbooks in the game against Illinois.