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“Bear Bets” are real wagers that Chris “The Bear” Fallica is actually making.
You know what they say: picking Week 0 is always tricky.
OK, no one says that. But I said it to myself after barely missing the mark on my pick last week. I had Kansas State -3 against Iowa State. The Cyclones ended up winning by three.
It’s still early and I’m just getting warmed up.
Here is my first best bet for Week 1, featuring the Thursday night game. Let’s get into it.
Last Week: 0-1
Season: 0-1
Cincinnati vs. Nebraska
Despite the one-sided action, this line hasn’t blown through seven, which tells me the books are comfortable going into the game needing Cincinnati.
The collective “we” have been waiting for Nebraska to break through and return to winning nine or ten games a year, and this looks like it could be Matt Rhule’s best year in Lincoln, as second-year starting QB Dylan Raiola will have Dana Holgorsen to improve the offense.
The Huskers are still a relatively young team and seem to play a lot of close games against Power 4 opponents. In fact, dating back to 2015, no team has lost more games decided by six points or fewer than the Huskers (29), and they’ve been involved in 38 games decided by six points or fewer. So, Nebraska has a knack for playing in these types of games, regardless of who the coach is.
I’m not sure how good Cincinnati will be this year, but Scott Satterfield thinks this will be his most talented team since he’s been at Cincinnati and, despite a losing season in 2024, Cincy was in a lot of games. The Bearcats lost a ton of close contests, and often it was their special teams that left them down in big spots.
If they can clean that up, behind the steady QB play of Brandon Sorsby and a pretty deep group of running backs, Cincy should be able to put a scare into the favored Huskers, who will undoubtedly have a ton of crowd support at Arrowhead.
PICK: Cincinnati (+6.5) to lose by fewer than 6.5 points, or win outright
Chris “The Bear” Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an “occasional” wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.
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