This week's picks

Utah vs. Cincinnati Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Utah at Cincinnati

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 3:45 PM ET, Nippert Stadium.

The numbers say: Utah, 81% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 3:45 PM ET
TVESPN
WhereNippert Stadium
Weather69°, cloudy, wind 7 mph
LineUtah −7, total 56.5
Line movementOpened Utah −9.5; moved 2.5 points toward Cincinnati.
SeriesUtah leads 1–0
Last meetingUtah 45–14 in 2025

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Utah by 8.874%63
PRIMEUtah by 10.377%
EloUtah86%
The lineUtah −7, opened −9.556.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, Utah or Cincinnati?

The numbers say: Utah. 79% chance to win

Which matchups decide Utah vs. Cincinnati?

All three ratings favor Utah, by 8.8 to 10.3 points. Utah's best matchup is its big-play offense, 6th in explosive play rate, against Cincinnati's big-play defense at 128th. Cincinnati's way back in is its pass protection, 77th in sacks allowed per dropback, against Utah's pass rush at 115th.

Utah with the ball

Cincinnati with the ball

Who's out for Utah and Cincinnati?

Utah

Cincinnati

How Utah and Cincinnati compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Utah and Cincinnati are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Utah's and Cincinnati's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Utah and Cincinnati?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Utah 11.3 points better (10th to 49th). PRIME also has Utah ahead, by 12.8. Elo, which only sees results, also has Utah ahead (10th to 62nd).

UtahCincinnati
SP+ overall18.0 (10th)6.7 (49th)
SP+ offense35.7 (13th)33.8 (21st)
SP+ defense17.7 (22nd)27.4 (78th)
SP+ special teams0.1 (54th)0.3 (28th)
PRIME net18.9 (8th)6.1 (43rd)
PRIME offense9.43 (17th)5.95 (31st)
PRIME defense9.81 (8th)-1.10 (80th)
PRIME SOS-1.5 (61st)-1.5 (61st)
PRIME SOR3.3 (4th)1.3 (34th)
Elo1896 (10th)1532 (62nd)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Utah's offense ranks 21st in adjusted EPA per play, and the Cincinnati defense it faces ranks 104th in EPA per play allowed. Cincinnati's offense ranks 24th against Utah's 19th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Utah's offense against Cincinnati's defense. The biggest edge on the board is Utah's passing game: 44th in adjusted EPA per pass, against Cincinnati's 124th-ranked defense. That's a mismatch.

UtahCincinnati
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.19 (21st)+0.18 (24th)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.22 (44th)+0.23 (32nd)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.16 (7th)+0.13 (15th)
Success rate (adjusted)48.1% (12th)42.9% (55th)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)50.7% (20th)47.0% (62nd)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)33.7% (14th)32.3% (32nd)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.98 (8th)1.00 (4th)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)3.09 (28th)3.12 (20th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.32 (19th)1.46 (8th)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.03 (19th)+0.15 (104th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.14 (36th)+0.29 (124th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)−0.00 (18th)+0.06 (65th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)36.2% (13th)43.0% (91st)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.93 (57th)0.94 (67th)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)2.85 (37th)3.06 (102nd)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)0.98 (26th)1.08 (55th)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Utah or Cincinnati?

Utah is better running (2nd in EPA per rush) than throwing (32nd). Cincinnati's run defense ranks 92nd, so that's a mismatch. Cincinnati is better running (8th in EPA per rush) than throwing (33rd). Utah's run defense ranks 30th, so that's strength on strength. On third down, Utah has the edge: its offense ranks 4th in EPA per third-down play, and the defense it faces ranks 111th.

UtahCincinnati
EPA per play+0.30 (11th)+0.29 (13th)
EPA per pass+0.36 (32nd)+0.35 (33rd)
EPA per rush+0.29 (2nd)+0.25 (8th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.85 (4th)+0.52 (50th)
EPA per play allowed−0.01 (20th)+0.17 (110th)
EPA per pass allowed+0.04 (21st)+0.32 (110th)
EPA per rush allowed−0.04 (30th)+0.11 (92nd)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.52 (106th)+0.54 (111th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Utah or Cincinnati?

Utah outscores FBS opponents by 22.8 a game, and Cincinnati by 9.0. Utah's offense ranks 14th in scoring, and the Cincinnati defense it faces ranks 95th in points allowed. Cincinnati's offense ranks 31st against Utah's 9th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Utah's offense against Cincinnati's defense.

UtahCincinnati
Points scored37.4 (14th)35.4 (31st)
Points allowed14.6 (9th)26.4 (95th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Utah's best matchup is big plays: its offense ranks 6th in explosive play rate, and Cincinnati's defense ranks 128th in explosive plays allowed. That's a mismatch. Cincinnati has no clear edge here. Its best is yards per carry, 3rd, against a defense ranked 11th in yards per carry allowed.

UtahCincinnati
Pass yards / game259.9 (40th)226.1 (74th)
Rush yards / game224.9 (15th)238.4 (11th)
Yards per play7.57 (8th)6.88 (22nd)
Yards per carry6.48 (6th)6.73 (3rd)
Yards per attempt9.28 (19th)7.47 (79th)
Completion %74.5% (12th)63.7% (67th)
Success rate53.6% (2nd)45.7% (47th)
Explosive play rate16.7% (6th)14.0% (35th)
3rd down conversion59.5% (1st)44.1% (46th)
Sack rate (taken)4.4% (41st)5.8% (77th)
INT rate (thrown)3.1% (99th)0.9% (17th)
SUPLEX68.2% (8th)56.8% (65th)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Utah's defense is best placed to win on early downs: it ranks 5th in SUPLEX allowed, and Cincinnati's offense is middle of the pack in SUPLEX (65th). That's a mismatch.

UtahCincinnati
Pass yards allowed / game225.9 (95th)287.0 (134th)
Rush yards allowed / game98.1 (4th)147.3 (65th)
Yards per play allowed4.93 (13th)6.55 (112th)
Yards per carry allowed3.86 (11th)4.82 (74th)
Yards per attempt allowed5.86 (19th)8.55 (112th)
Success rate allowed33.0% (7th)45.7% (109th)
Explosive plays allowed8.9% (15th)15.1% (128th)
3rd downs allowed32.4% (24th)43.3% (103rd)
Sack rate (generated)4.3% (115th)6.0% (73rd)
INT rate (generated)3.0% (52nd)2.1% (79th)
SUPLEX allowed40.9% (5th)61.6% (117th)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

Utah has the better number in 7 of 12. The biggest gap is front-seven havoc, where Cincinnati ranks 39th and Utah 124th.

UtahCincinnati
Big Uglies: offensive line51.6 (56th)53.1 (46th)
Big Uglies: defensive front52.3 (51st)47.2 (88th)
Line yards per carry3.35 (22nd)3.41 (17th)
Line yards allowed per carry2.70 (33rd)3.21 (116th)
Second-level yards per carry1.42 (3rd)1.41 (5th)
Open-field yards per carry1.78 (15th)2.12 (6th)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)21.5% (116th)16.4% (48th)
Stuff rate (defense)23.5% (19th)17.0% (91st)
Power success (short yardage)72.4% (68th)68.8% (92nd)
Power success allowed58.8% (13th)73.3% (84th)
Front-seven havoc allowed9.1% (70th)9.6% (91st)
Front-seven havoc7.3% (124th)10.8% (39th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Cincinnati is +0.9 in turnover margin a game and Utah is +0.4. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 2-point edge for Cincinnati. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it. Fumble recoveries are mostly luck, and Cincinnati's takeaways lean on them (0.7 of 1.4 a game).

UtahCincinnati
Interceptions thrown / game0.86 (84th)0.29 (16th)
Fumbles lost / game0.29 (20th)0.29 (20th)
Giveaways / game1.14 (52nd)0.57 (7th)
Interceptions / game1.14 (14th)0.71 (66th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.43 (69th)0.71 (24th)
Takeaways / game1.57 (28th)1.43 (41st)
Turnover margin / game+0.4 (35th)+0.9 (13th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Utah has the more talented roster (58th in the 247Sports talent composite; Cincinnati is 77th). Utah also plays further above its talent: +15.9 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Cincinnati's +8.4.

UtahCincinnati
Talent composite695.7 (58th)635.3 (77th)
Blue-chip ratio11.3% (63rd)3.8% (104th)
Players on roster104 (112th)111 (67th)
Rated by 247Sports80 (60th)79 (66th)
5-star players1 (24th)0 (37th)
4-star players8 (62nd)3 (94th)
3-star players70 (28th)69 (33rd)
Below 3-star1 (86th)7 (14th)
2026 transfers in17 (103rd)23 (56th)
Transfer share21.3% (101st)29.1% (68th)
SP+ vs. talent+15.9 (6th)+8.4 (22nd)
Returning production67.9% (28th)8.3% (121st)
Returning passing production97.4% (21st)3.5% (99th)
Returning rushing production82.7% (36th)4.1% (110th)
Returning receiving production28.6% (84th)15.3% (111th)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)27 (27th)58 (58th)
Recruiting rank, last four classes36.5 (31st)61.2 (63rd)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Which roster costs more?

Utah's roster is valued at $22.1M, Cincinnati's at $19.1M. Utah also plays better per dollar: +10.6 points of SP+ above what its payroll predicts, to +2.5 for Cincinnati.

UtahCincinnati
Roster value$22.1M (36th)$19.1M (59th)
Roster cost per win$3.2M (4th)$3.8M (13th)
Projected wins per $1M0.44 (5th)0.33 (23rd)
SP+ vs. payroll+10.6 (4th)+2.5 (27th)

NIL roster value from The NIL Standard (power-conference teams plus Boise State and Oregon State). Ranks are out of 70 teams with a valuation.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Utah is +3.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (+1.7). Cincinnati is +1.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (+1.1). Cincinnati's record is running 0.8 wins ahead of its play on luck alone, so it's not as good as the record says.

UtahCincinnati
RECEIPTS (total)+3.5 (1st)+1.5 (30th)
Schedule RECEIPTS+0.7 (60th)-0.2 (93rd)
Roster RECEIPTS+0.4 (45th)-0.3 (87th)
Coach RECEIPTS+1.7 (9th)+1.1 (23rd)
Luck RECEIPTS+0.7 (28th)+0.8 (21st)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Utah at Cincinnati: questions people ask

Utah vs. Cincinnati prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Utah, 79% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team. Utah's best matchup is its big-play offense, 6th in explosive play rate, against Cincinnati's big-play defense at 128th.

Where can I watch Utah vs. Cincinnati, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 3:45 PM ET at Nippert Stadium. It's on ESPN.

What's the projected score of Utah vs. Cincinnati?

SP+ projects Utah 36–27. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Utah at Cincinnati?

DraftKings has Utah −7, total 56.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Utah vs. Cincinnati series history?

Utah leads 1–0. Last meeting: Utah won 45–14 in 2025.

Who are the players to watch in Utah vs. Cincinnati?

Utah: Devon Dampier (1,633 passing yards), Wayshawn Parker (628 rushing yards) and Braden Pegan (459 receiving yards). Cincinnati: JC French (1,542 passing yards), Cole Tabb (590 rushing yards) and JaVonnie Gibson (385 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Utah at Cincinnati?

Utah's is Devon Dampier (1,633 passing yards this season); Cincinnati's is JC French (1,542 passing yards this season).

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Utah and Cincinnati: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.