Texas Tech vs. Cincinnati Prediction, CFB Week 8 Odds & Best Bets (10/24)

Fact checked at 7:22 AM ET, Oct 24, 2026

Odds as of 7:20 AM ET, Oct 24, 2026

Texas Tech brings a 6-0 record to Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati as an 11.5-point favorite for Saturday's 12:00 PM ET kickoff. The Red Raiders have allowed 106 points in six games, and the strength of that defense is up front. Opponents have run for 82.0 yards a game against them, fifth-fewest in FBS, at 2.86 yards a carry, and nobody has run for a touchdown on them all season. Cincinnati is 4-2 and has lost two straight, 34-7 at Arizona and 45-42 at West Virginia.

The Bearcats gain 231.2 rushing yards a game, mostly through their running backs. We expect Texas Tech's front to win that fight the way Arizona's did in the 34-7 game, which leaves quarterback JC French to carry the offense with his own runs and his throws to JV Gibson. Both picks cash in something like a 38-21 Texas Tech win where Cincinnati has to throw to catch up. French isn't on the Big 12 availability report and is expected to start, and both picks depend on him. Running back Gi'Bran Payne (ankle) is listed as questionable. The forecast is sunny and about 62 degrees at kickoff, warming toward 70 by the second half, with almost no wind.

Texas Tech vs. Cincinnati Predictions

• Pick #1: JC French 15+ Rushing Yards (-147)
• Pick #2: JV Gibson Anytime Touchdown (+190)

PICK #1: JC French 15+ Rushing Yards (-147)

French has run for at least 15 yards in every game he has played this season. The five FBS games weren't close: 52 yards against Boston College, 39 against Miami (Ohio), 21 against Kansas State, 29 at Arizona and 52 at West Virginia. He averages more than 10 carries a game, so the number asks for about a yard and a half per carry.

At -147, the price gives him about a 59.5% chance, and the matchup says it should be higher. Texas Tech is built to stop running backs, but quarterbacks who can move have still found yards against it. Houston's Conner Weigman ran for 56 on 13 carries, and Colorado's Isaac Wilson got 42 on 17. With Cincinnati's backs bottled up, French's scrambles and keepers are what the offense has left, and a team playing from behind has even more reason to put the ball in his hands. If Payne's ankle keeps him out, the backfield gets thinner still.

Sacks are the problem, since they come off a quarterback's rushing total in college football. Texas Tech has 17 in six games, and a three- or four-sack game can erase a couple of good runs. Arizona's pass rush is one of the better ones in the country, though, and French still finished with 29 yards there on Cincinnati's worst offensive night of the year. His lowest total, 21 on eight carries against Kansas State, also cleared this line.

PICK #2: JV Gibson Anytime Touchdown (+190)

If Cincinnati scores against this defense, it will most likely be through the air, and Gibson is the team's leading receiver.

Texas Tech's four FBS opponents haven't run for a single touchdown, but they threw for 10 and averaged 344 passing yards. Gibson leads the Bearcats with 25 catches, 342 yards and four touchdown catches, four of the team's nine scoring receptions. He scored against Boston College, Miami (Ohio) and West Virginia, three of the five FBS games he has played. The +190 price implies a 34.5% chance. A receiver who has scored in three of five FBS games, facing a defense that forces opponents to throw, should get there more often than that.

The two games without a score are the risk. Arizona took him away completely (no catches), and Kansas State held him to two catches for 66 yards. Malachi Henry, who had 128 yards at West Virginia, and Isaiah Johnson can take touchdowns from him, and Cincinnati may not score much at all against a defense that has allowed 106 points in six games.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.