Cincinnati Bearcats Football Betting Favorites To Complete 'One Season' Against Navy With Win

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats football team is a betting favorite to beat the Navy Midshipmen in their 2026 Liberty Bowl matchup.

UC is a 1.5-point betting favorite and shortening as of this writing, with a point total sitting at 55.5. The Midshipmen went 9-2 overall as an AAC conference contender all season long. They are just 4-7 against the spread, though, while the 7-5 Bearcats went 6-6 ATS.

Scott Satterfield and his staff have already started tweaking the defensive strategy to prepare for a pretty unique game that won't look like any they've played in his tenure.

Navy runs a famous option offense that is very rare in the higher levels of football.

"You're not going to be doing the same things that you did throughout the season when you're facing this offense," Satterfield said on the bowl conference call. "You've got to do some different things. When you're preparing for this type of team. Have to change some of your habits. So, we will be carrying that (player bowl prep player) evaluation all over into January and February as we head into spring practice. I'm certainly trying to get better defensively, trying to create more havoc."

Satterfield did say on the call that he expects "most" players who will transfer eventually to suit up in the bowl game. Cincinnati is letting any player who wants to play participate.

"This is one season, you know, and this season is still going like we're not finished with this season," Satterfield said. "You're still a part of this team until the end of this bowl game. And so if guys want to get into the pool and explore some other avenues. We told them, 'Hey, you guys can still participate, still play, still be a part of this team.' And I think they're good with that."

The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 2 as the program gets a nice three-week lead-up into the completely different service-academy action. The game airs on ESPN.

Bookmark Bearcats Talk for the latest news, breakdowns, and so much more. Check out our YouTube page as well, starting with the video below.

Also, don't miss the podcast, Bearcat Blitz, wherever you get your shows!

Apple: http://apple.co/4fI26zj

Spotify: http://bit.ly/3OqvD4l

YouTube: http://bit.ly/414XiQ6

-----

Be sure to keep it locked in on Bearcats Talk, as we cover the trials and tribulations of the Big 12!

Follow Bearcats Talk on Twitter: @BearcatsTalk

Like Bearcats Talk on Facebook: Bearcats Talk