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Free Prediction: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech Gambling Spreads & Military Bowl Preview

Military Bowl: Bearcats vs Hokies Pick

NCAA Football Bowl Season Betting action sees the Cincinnati Bearcats taking on the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday December 27th in the Military Bowl at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Cappers Picks provides free college football handicapping tips all season long.

The official name is the Military Bowl Presented by Northrup Grumman.

NCAA Football Wagering

2014 Military Bowl
Cincinnati vs Va Tech
Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 27 2014, 1 pm EST
Venue: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis MD
Broadcast: ESPN
Cincinnati -3, Virginia Tech +3
Over/Under: OFF
***2014 CFB BONUSES***
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Click here to view… NCAAF Betting Stats & NCAAF Handicapping Insight!

A mouthful, to be sure, but it should still be a compelling match-up between the American Conference’s Bearcats and the ACC’s Hokies.

The Virginia Tech Hokies (6-6) are making their 22nd consecutive postseason appearance – a testament to head coach Frank Beamer’s incredible consistency at the program.

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It may be tough to grab that seventh victory however, with a red-hot Cincinnati (9-3) team travelling to Maryland.

The ‘Cats have won seven straight ballgames, dating back to Oct. 18. Consequently, Cincinnati (9-3) tore through its conference schedule, finishing 7-1 in the American Athletic Conference. It had understandable losses to Ohio State and Miami (Fl), but apart from that it’s been an impressive year in southern Ohio.

In beating Houston in their last game, the Bearcats grabbed a share of the AAC title.

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Tech played a more up-and-down 2014 season. The Hokies started out with an upset victory over the aforementioned OSU Buckeyes, but since then they’ve been a team prone to losing streaks and cold offense.

A 6-3, two-OT loss to Wake Forest (not a misprint) is surely the low point. Seriously, where is the offense Coach Beamer?

Virginia Tech’s rushing attack, long the bedrock of the Hokies offense (think Lee Suggs, Ryan Williams, David Wilson just to name a few) is virtually non-existent in 2014. Transfer QB Michael Brewer is decent, but he’s not a world-beater, so as a result, the entire offense grinds to a halt.

Tech plays defense like it always has and always will, but as much as the tired cliche is “Defense wins championships”, you have to score a bit, too.

Virginia Tech ranks 96th nationally in rushing yards and 98th in scoring offense. Yuck.

There hasn’t been such a problem for Tech’s bowl opponent. Cincy QB Gunner Kiel lives true to his moniker, zipping the ball out with aplomb (3,010 pass yards, 30 TDs). The Bearcats average 300 passing yards per game (good for 13th in America) and are in the Top 25 in scoring offense.

Tech has some talented players in the defensive secondary to try and thwart the passing attack (Kendall Fuller, whose brother Kyle was a rookie revelation for the Chicago Bears this year; and safety Kyshoen Jarrett) but it will still be a challenge.

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Cincinnati has a buffet of talented players that can hurt you when they have ball, both in the rushing attack and on the receiving end.

NCAAF Trends

* Bearcats are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. win.
* Bearcats are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
* Bearcats are 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Hokies are 1-4 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Hokies are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games following a ATS win.
* Hokies are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.

4* FREE Play: Cincinnati 24, Virginia Tech 17

It won’t be easy to stop. With all the momentum the Bearcats are carrying, I like their chances in the Military Bowl – despite it being effectively a home game for the Hokies, who play in neighboring Virginia.

Check out our Updated CFB Bowl Game Odds.

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By James Hayes

James has been naming every player on the EA Sports video game rosters for half a decade now, he’s finally putting his knowledge to better use writing for us here at CappersPicks.com. Your comments are welcome below…Give Us Your Take!