NCAA Football
2026-10-24 - Texas Tech Red Raiders at Cincinnati Bearcats
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : College Football Week 8
Saturday 24th October 2026 - Scheduled 12pm EST
5pm (British Time)
Preview
There would have been plenty of tension around this Big 12 game if Brandon Sorsby had not been caught up in a gambling scandal in the same off-season where he chose to transfer from the Cincinnati Bearcats (4-2) to the Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-0).
Both teams will likely play down that situation with Sorsby ineligible to play in 2026, but this is still a big game with the Red Raiders looking to improve to 4-0 within the Conference.
Back to back defeats means the Cincinnati Bearcats are 1-2 in the Big 12, but they are hosting an opponent that have filled some of the void that had been left when the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns left the Conference to join the SEC. The game is one that many would have circled before the season began and that should mean a motivated Cincinnati team enters the field.
They are facing a Red Raiders team that have had a winning record in each of the last five seasons and who finished with a 12-2 record in 2025, which included competing in the College Football Playoff. Texas Tech won the Big 12 Championship with a dominant win over the BYU Cougars to earn a spot in the Quarter Final of the Playoffs, although the Red Raiders were well beaten in that game.
A perfect start to the season will give the Red Raiders a lot of confidence and they do look to have the balance on the Offensive side of the ball that makes them very dangerous.
The Red Raiders Offensive Line have helped the team open up some huge running lanes, which has eased any pressure that may have been felt by Quarter Back Will Hammond who may not have been expected to be the starting player in that position. You have to expect the Red Raiders are going to be able to establish the run very effectively against this Cincinnati Defensive Line, while Hammond has done enough at Quarter Back to force teams to respect the passing game and not sell out at the Line of Scrimmage.
Will Hammond will feel he can carve up a Bearcats Secondary that has been struggling to stop the pass, especially from third and manageable spots and with the protection offered by his Offensive Line. The only aspect the Quarter Back needs to control is looking after the ball and avoiding Interceptions should see Texas Tech have a lot of success with the ball in hand.
Cincinnati will feel they can at least keep up on the scoreboard with their own Offensive game plan working well in recent games, but they did only score 7 points in a loss to the Arizona Wildcats earlier this month.
There has been a pretty strong balance on the Offensive side of the ball, but the Bearcats test will be at the Line of Scrimmage and trying to establish the run against this Red Raiders Defensive Line. If they can do that, JC French IV can have a solid game from the Quarter Back position to give his team an opportunity to earn an upset, but third and long spots are always that much more difficult to convert.
Even if the Bearcats are in that third and long spot, French IV has shown he can expose a Red Raiders Secondary that have given up plenty of yards through the air.
Where Texas Tech would win is that they could unleash the powerful pass rush to put JC French IV under pressure and see if they can force any mistakes from a Quarter Back that has simply not made many this season. In recent games, the Red Raiders have forced a number of turnovers through the air that have swung momentum in their favour and that may be the key to the outcome of this one.
A real road test is going to be challenging, but the Red Raiders have a couple of solid wins away from home this season and they can do enough to win and cover in this Big 12 contest.
Prediction
Lay the points with one of the unbeaten teams in the Big 12 who are chasing a return to the College Football Playoff.
The Pick :
Cincinnati Bearcats 24-41 Texas Tech Red Raiders
