Football Betting

AFC Playoffs - Superbowl Contenders

If the playoffs started today, two things would be very clear. The Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Chargers would be the two teams to beat in the AFC.

That’s if the playoffs started today. There’s a still a lot to get through and some very good games this week that could determine which teams will have success both straight up and wagering wise in this season’s playoffs. Right now all we can do is speculate as BetUS will be releasing Super Bowl Football odds in the very near future.

Let’s take a look at the AFC playoff picture and think about at which odds the teams might be worth a bet to win this season’s Super Bowl.

Worth a Super Bowl Bet?

1. Indianapolis Colts

Strengths: The Colts appear to be getting stronger. They dominated a Denver Broncos team 28 to 16 at home last Sunday and have nobody in their path to a 16 and 0 season. They play Jacksonville on the road, the New York Jets and Buffalo on the road. Will they be stopped? Highly doubtful. 16 and 0 is well within reach. Their biggest strength, of course, is Peyton Manning.

Weaknesses: Peyton Manning. Oh, wait, did I just write that? The greatest quarterback to ever live, yes, I really believe that, has thrown 10 interceptions in the last 6 games. That’s 10 out of the 14 picks he’s tossed this season. Peyton appears to be slowing down. That’s not good. Also, as terrific as they looked against Denver, they still allowed wide receiver Brandon Marshall to grab 21 catches for 200 yards and 2 TDs. That’s Kyle Orton and Brandon Marshall who lit them up, not Phillip Rivers and Antonio Gates.

Worth a wager? Definitely not. No football sportsbook in their right mind is going to give you higher than +250 or +300 on these guys to win the Super Bowl. They look great but pull back the layers and there are serious concerns regarding this team.

2. San Diego Chargers

Strength: Everything. This team is loaded. The Chargers have won 8 games in a row, QB Phillip Rivers is playing his eye-balls out, RB LaDanian Tomlinson is getting healthier and the defense is rock solid. During their 8 game winning streak, they’ve beaten Dallas, Denver and the New York Giants on the road and beat Philadelphia at home. They’re a solid team.

Weaknesses: None. Sure, a case can be made that Coach Norv Turner is a liability but his team has won 8 games in a row in the NFL and beaten some good teams on the way. The Chargers are also 6 and 2 ATS during that 8 game winning streak which means that they are taking care of business.

Worth a Super Bowl bet? Yes! Yes! Yes! They’re just as good as Indianapolis, if not better, and have the complete package. There are no weaknesses on this team right now. None. Take the odds on the Charges as soon as humanely possible.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

Strengths: The Bengals’ D is very solid although it didn’t look that way last Sunday when it gave up 30 points to Minnesota. Still, the Bengals’ defense should keep them in games. They also have a terrific running game with Cedric Benson and Carson Palmer, Ochocinco and the rest of the wide receivers are good enough to get the job done when called upon even though the Bengals would prefer to simply run the ball.

Weaknesses: They’re a good team, but not a great team. Do they have a real weakness? Nope, but they aren’t exceptional in any area. They remind me of the 2006 Seattle Seahawks or 2007 Chicago Bears, two teams that made the Super Bowl but just were okay and lost. That’s Cincinnati. They’re good but not great.

Worth a Super Bowl bet? At odds of +800 to win the AFC Championship that might be the better bet. The Bengals could upset San Diego or Indianapolis, but they’re not going to win it all. Unless there’s a monumental upset in the NFC, the Bengals don’t have a shot to win the Super Bowl.

4. New England Patriots

Strengths: Tom Brady and Wes Welker can beat any defense in the NFL. I’m tempted to put Randy Moss with them, but Moss needs to start producing again before I can do that. With Brady and Welker on offense, the Patriots can dominate.

Weaknesses: Bad coaching from Bill Belichick, a shoddy defense, no real running game to speak of, an inability to win on the road, lack of heart…you name it and the Patriots probably have it. This team just isn’t that great. They play in the AFC East, though, which is why they probably will make the playoffs.

Worth a Super Bowl bet? No. Did you hear me? No. They’re not good enough. Flat out. The NFL pre-season favorite to win the Super Bowl just isn’t good enough to even get there.

Best Long Shot

Denver Broncos - - Yes, they just got kicked in the mouth against the Indianapolis Colts but they caused Peyton to throw 3 interceptions and held the Colts to 220 yards passing and 92 yards rushing. The Broncos got down 14 to 0 in that game and had to start passing much earlier than they probably would have preferred.

If they had been able to get their running backs going, then the score might have been closer. Also, Coach Josh McDaniels has shown the ability to adjust when needed. That will be the key to their success in the playoffs…if they make it. Denver is +2000 in the sportsbook to win the AFC Championship. I think they’re worth a bet.

Cincinnati Bengals vs New England Patriots Pointspread Trends

Cincinnati Bengals (0-1 SU & ATS) at New England Patriots (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS)
Thursday, August 20 7:30pm EST

BetUS NFL Football Betting Odds: 
NEW ENGLAND -7, Total 37

Here are some of the NFL pro football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

• CIN has lost six of its last nine pres-season games SU
• CIN has covered five of its last seven pre-season road games
• NE has lost four of its last five pre-season games SU
• NE is 0-5 ATS in its last five pre-season games
• NE has covered one of its last five pre-season home games
• NE has played eight of its last 13 pre-season games OVER the total
• NE has played five of its last six pre-season home games OVER the total
  
  

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals Prop Bets

Thursday Night Football is one of the best NFL Games for Prop Bets.  All the sites have lots of options and with only one game on TV, it's fun to have some coin on individual player performances. 

I have been murdering the books on Tackle over/unders, going 12-2 for the year.  Here's a few of my favorites for tonight.  (complete Steelers vs Bengals Prop Odds)

• Dhani Jones (Bengals) Total Tackles (Solo+Assisted Tackles) Over 6.5 (+110):  Jones projects out at 10 and chances are the Steelers roll up a big lead and run, run, run the entire 2nd half.
• James Harrison (Steelers) Total Tackles (Solo+Assisted Tackles)  Over 6.5 (even): With Levi Jones hurt, Harrison may get 7 sacks alone.
• Total Sacks- Both teams over 4.5 (-115): The Steelers will get there by themselves, but Ben R has been taken down a ton this year too.  its EZ money.
• Ryan Fitzpatrick (Bengals) Total Completions Over 21.5 (-105):  He's going to be throwing allot.  Even with Ocho Cinco out, its another easy cover.

Good luck tonight and post any others you like and give me a reason why.

Steelers vs Bengals Preview

CINCINNATI (1-8-1) AT PITTSBURGH (7-3), 8:15 pm EST

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Even when it comes to making history, the
Pittsburgh Steelers managed to one-up the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Steelers look to maintain their slim lead atop the AFC North
when they host the Bengals on Thursday night.

Both teams were involved in a pair of NFL oddities this past 
weekend. The Bengals played to a 13-13 tie with the 
Philadelphia Eagles - the first stalemate in the league since 
the Steelers tied the Atlanta Falcons on November 10, 2002.

However, Pittsburgh had a game - or at least a final score - for
the ages with its 11-10 victory over the San Diego Chargers.

It was the first game in league history to be decided by that 
score, which was magnified after an apparent Steelers' touchdown
on the final play of the game was overturned upon video review.

The officiating call did not affect the outcome but it did set 
off a firestorm of publicity, resulting in a swing of $64 
million in wagering due to the late reversal.

Cincinnati could use a similar reversal in its series with the 
Steelers. The Bengals have lost 10 of the last 13 against 
Pittsburgh and were mauled, 38-10, in the season's first meeting
on October 19.

However, in what has been an otherwise disastrous campaign, 
Cincinnati has played fairly well the past two games, picking up
their first win with a 21-19 victory over Jacksonville prior to 
the deadlock with the Eagles.

Shayne Graham missed a 47-yard field goal with seven seconds 
left in overtime that could have sent the Bengals into Sunday's 
game with a modest two-game winning streak.

"Today I think we really showed we're the best 1-8 team I've 
ever seen," Cincinnati safety Chris Crocker said. "Hey, we're a
good team, regardless of the record."

Pittsburgh snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory 
over the Chargers. Jeff Reed provided the winning margin with a
32-yard field goal with 11 seconds to play.

Although Ben Roethlisberger failed to throw a touchdown pass, he
finished 31-of-41 for 308 yards and averted costly mistakes. 
Roethlisberger had throw eight interceptions in his previous 
three games.

"It was time for me to do it," Roethlisberger said. "I don't 
like to say it's time for us to do it because some of those guys
have been doing it all year. It was time for me to step up and 
make some plays."

Willie Parker, playing in just his second game in nearly two 
months, rushed for 115 yards on 25 carries - his third 100-yard 
outing this season.

Parker sat out the earlier meeting against Cincinnati, but 
Mewelde Moore picked up the slack, rushing for 120 yards and a 
pair of touchdowns.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers Pointspread Free Pick

Kick-off: 11/20/2008 8:15 pm est.

Cincinnati Bengals + 10 ½ - 110 + 450 O 35 ½ - 110

Pittsburgh Steelers - 10 ½ - 110 - 600 U 35 ½ - 110

The Bengals travel to Pittsburgh to take on their hated rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the Bengals things haven’t been going very well this season. They are coming off of a very good tie versus the Philadelphia Eagles, but the thing is that the Bengals caused the Eagles to commit four turnovers but they couldn’t capitalize on any of them. They ended up tying the Eagles at 13 to 13.

New Football Promotion - Game of the Week. Deposit $300 and get $100 in Bonuses.

For sportsbook betting fans, the Bengals have been anathema to making any online profits. Their record straight-up this season is 1 and 8. Their record against the online betting spread is somewhat better at 4 and 6. Once Carson Palmer went down with an injury, online football betting fans knew that the Bengals were going to have a tough time of it.

The Steelers have done everything possible this season to win games. It’s mostly worked as their 7 and 3 record indicates. But they’re record against the spread tells a different story. At 4 and 6 against the online betting spread, the same as the Bengals, the Steelers have become a difficult team for online football betting fans to back. They’re not exactly sure what sort of team they want to be.

Here are a few online wagering trends that might help us find a good online bet in this game.

• The Cincinnati Bengals are 1 and 4 against the spread in their last 5 games against an opponent from the AFC North Division.
• The Under is 6 and 1 in the Cincinnati Bengals last 7 games versus a rival from the AFC North Division.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers are 2 and 6 against the spread in their last 8 games on grass.
• The Under is 8 and 2 in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ last 10 games versus an AFC opponent.

This looks like an obvious one, but before I dump all of my online betting dollars on the Under, I want to take a closer look at the Bengals.

The Steelers could very well blow the Bengals out in this game. That would mean that this game could go over or under depending on how many points the Bengals score.

But here’s the thing, the Bengals actually have a better defense this season than offense. It sounds crazy but the Bengals have an easier time stopping offenses than scoring. They did a great job against the Philadelphia Eagles last week and I have no doubt that the Eagles are a better offensive team than the Steelers.

Pittsburgh just finds ways to play in close games. The online betting spread is fairly high at 10 ½. I’m going with the Bengals in this game. I believe they can keep this game within ten points.

Cincinnati Bengals 2008 Preview

nothing else, the Cincinnati Bengals, (7-9 SU, 7-9 ATS, 7-9 O/U) were consistently mediocre for football betting enthusiasts in 2007, posting identical 7-9 records across the sports wagering board, (SU, ATS, O/U) last season while moving another step closer to helping head coach Marvin Lewis get the ol’ heave-ho, likely, following this season if the Bengals don’t get their collective acts together.

Here is a look at the Cincinnati Bengals as we get ready for the NFL betting 2008 regular season opener:

The Bengals, who went 4-4 AT against the spread, (ATS) at home and 3-5 ATS on the road, have an elite quarterback in Carson Palmer, but needs to get the entire offense on the same page with head case Chad Johnson not happy, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the final year of his contract and third wideout Chris Henry cut from the team after another off-field legal problem.

If running back Rudi Johnson can get back to being a 1,000-yard rusher after getting just 497 yards on 170 carries, (2.9 yard average) while the team continues to work in the younger Kenny Watson, Palmer and the Bengals could exceed expectations on offense, although the team will need at least one of of their young wide receivers, likely second round pick Jerome Sampson, to step forward and give the Bengals and viable third option through the air.

Defensively, the Bengals, (3-5 O/U home, 4-4 O/U road) have a new coordinator in Mike Zimmer and he will bring a more aggressive approach to Cincinnati than they’ve had the last few seasons.

The Bengals had an almost non-existent pass rush a year ago but went out and signed free agent Antwan Odom to play along side its best defensive lineman, Robert Geathers but will need starters, Domata Peko and John Thornton to step up the level of their respective play.

Cincinnati used its first round draft pick to nab athletic linebacker Keith Rivers who will start eventually next to middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks and linebacker Rashad Jeanty.

The Bengals had big problems with its secondary last season and will need immediate improvement from second year defensive backs Marvin White and Chinedum Ndukwe with veteran Madieu Williams no longer around. Dexter Jackson is still a big hitter and the engals will be better this season on both corners with an improved Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall out on the islands.

Bengals’ place kicker Shayne Graham banged in 31 of 34 field goal attempts, but the team was mediocre at best with both of its return units, finishing last in punt return.

Here is a look at the Bengals’ 2008 Draft Picks, followed by their 2007 team statistics and 2008 NFL Odds in the BetUS Sportsbook.

2008 NFL Draft Picks

Round 1 (9): Keith Rivers, OLB, USC

Round 2 (46): Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina

Round 3 (77): Pat Sims, DT, Auburn

Round 3 (97)*: Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida

Round 4 (112): Anthony Collins, T, Kansas

Round 5 (145): Jason Shirley, DT, Fresno State

Round 6 (177): Corey Lynch, S, Appalachian State

Round 6 (207): Matthew Sherry, TE, Villanova

Round 7 (244): Angelo Craig, OLB, Cincinnati

Round 7 (246): Mario Urrutia, WR, Louisville

2007 NFL Statistics

Offense

347.9 total yards per game: Rank 10

250.7 passing yards per game: Rank

97.2 rushing yards per game: Rank 24

23.8 points scored per game: Rank 11

Defense

438.7 total yards allowed per game: Rank 27

230.4 passing yards allowed per game: Rank 26

118.3 rushing yards per game allowed: Rank 21

24.1 points allowed per game: Rank 24

2008 NFL Odds

+450 to win AFC North

+3000 to win AFC Championship

+5000 to win Super Bowl XLIII

NFL Monday Night Football Notes

Here's Bodog's College Game of the Day: 
 

Behind two potent offenses that combine to average 69 points per game, New England and Cincinnati have covered 5 out of 6 OVERS. Ranking second in the NFL in pass defense, New England has been wicked awesome versus the pass this season. However, they faced the 18th, 27th and 32nd ranked pass offenses, nothing near to the 937 passing yards and 9 TD passes Carson Palmer has tallied so far. Given the impressive numbers above, it isn't surprising that 84% of the early cash in on the OVER (53.5).

New England Patriots vs Cincinatti Bengals- Monday Night Football Point Spread Winner

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS CINCINNATI BENGALS 3-0         October        1, 8:30 PM        | Turf of Paul Brown Stadium 1-2

RECENT FORM TEAM SU ATS OU OFF DEF New England 3-0 3-0 3-0 38.0 11.7 Cincinnati 1-2 1-1-1 2-1 31.0 31.7

SMART CHART NE   TEAM   CIN 38.0 PTS FOR   31.0 11.7 PTS AGNST   31.7 26.3 DIFF.   -0.7 289.3   PASS YDS 301.0 151.7 RUSH YDS   92.0 133.0 PASS D   257.7 74.0 RUSH D   145.0 -0.7   TO DIFF 0.0

INJURIES NEW ENGLAND PLAYER POS DESCRIPTION Troy Brown WR P-U-P List (knee) Chad Jackson WR P-U-P List (knee) Eddie Jackson CB P-U-P List (knee) Richard Seymour DE P-U-P List (knee) Rodney Harrison S Out Until October 7 (suspension) Steve Neal G Out Week 4 (shoulder) Kelley Washington WR Out Week 4 (hamstring) Rosevelt Colvin LB Questionable Week 4 (ankle) Randall Gay CB Questionable Week 4 (thigh) Laurence Maroney RB Questionable Week 4 (groin) Donte' Stallworth WR Questionable Week 4 (knee) Vince Wilfork DT Questionable Week 4 (knee) Mike Wright DE Questionable Week 4 (knee) Billy Yates G Questionable Week 4 (shoulder) Tom Brady QB Probable Week 4 (right shoulder) Kevin Faulk RB Probable Week 4 (team decision) CINCINNATI PLAYER POS DESCRIPTION Chris Perry RB P-U-P List (ankle/leg) David Pollack LB P-U-P List (neck) Odell Thurman LB Out For Season (suspension) Chris Henry WR Out Until November 11 (suspension) Rashad Jeanty LB Out Week 4 (shin) Rudi Johnson RB Out Week 4 (hamstring) Ethan Kilmer S Out Week 4 (knee) Tab Perry WR Out Week 4 (hamstring) Ahmad Brooks LB Doubtful Week 4 (groin) Caleb Miller LB Doubtful Week 4 (back) Stacy Andrews G Questionable Week 4 (shoulder) Willie Anderson T Probable Week 4 (foot) Eric Ghiaciuc C Probable Week 4 (thumb) Shayne Graham K Probable Week 4 (groin) T.J. Houshmandzadeh WR Probable Week 4 (knee) Anthony Schlegel LB Probable Week 4 (toe) Justin Smith DE Probable Week 4 (foot)

BETTING TRENDS NEW ENGLAND New England is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games New England is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games The total has gone OVER in 8 of New England's last 9 games New England is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games on the road New England is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games on the road The total has gone OVER in 4 of New England's last 5 games on the road New England is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Cincinnati New England is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cincinnati The total has gone OVER in 4 of New England's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati New England is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati New England is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati The total has gone OVER in 4 of New England's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati CINCINNATI Cincinnati is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cincinnati's last 10 games Cincinnati is 5-11-1 ATS in its last 17 games at home Cincinnati is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing New England Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing New England The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing New England Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against New England Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against New England The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing at home against New England

HEAD TO HEAD SUMMARY TEAM SU ATS OU PTS RYDS YPR PA PC% PYDS TOTY TO New England 3-1 1-3 3-1 26.5 109.3 3.9 31.5 61.1 230.3 339.5 0.5 Cincinnati 1-3 3-1 3-1 19.3 128.8 4.4 34.3 62.0 240.0 368.8 2.0 HEAD TO HEAD DETAIL DATE DAY AWAY PTS HOME PTS T/G HOMELINE ATS RY PY TY TO RY PY TY TO 10/01/2006 Sun NE 38 CIN 13 T -6/46 NE/O 236 188 424 1 71 208 279 2 12/12/2004 Sun CIN 28 NE 35 G -11/47 CIN/O 150 328 478 3 94 257 351 0 09/09/2001 Sun NE 17 CIN 23 G -1/35½ CIN/O 68 224 292 0 157 196 353 1 11/19/2000 Sun CIN 13 NE 16 G -7/35½ CIN/U 137 228 365 2 39 252 291 1

TEAMS LAST 5 GAMES
NEW ENGLAND | GAME LOGS
DATE	DAY	OPPONENT	SCORE	SU	LINE	ATS	ORY	OPY	OTY	DRY	DPY	DTY	TO +/-
09/23/2007	Sun	BUF	38-7	W	-16½/41	W/O	177	308	485	110	83	193	1
09/16/2007	Sun	SD	38-14	W	-3½/46	W/O	144	263	407	52	149	201	1
09/09/2007	Sun	at NYJ	38-14	W	-6½/41	W/O	134	297	431	60	167	227	0
08/30/2007	Thu	NYG	27-20	W	-3½/36	W/O	95	237	332	144	175	319	-1
08/24/2007	Fri	at CAR	24-7	W	1/37½	W/U	148	236	384	57	222	279	1
CINCINNATI | GAME LOGS
DATE	DAY	OPPONENT	SCORE	SU	LINE	ATS	ORY	OPY	OTY	DRY	DPY	DTY	TO +/-
09/23/2007	Sun	at SEA	21-24	L	3/49½	T/U	84	328	412	102	238	340	-2
09/16/2007	Sun	at CLE	45-51	L	-7/41½	L/O	137	394	531	226	328	554	-2
09/10/2007	Mon	BAL	27-20	W	-2½/39½	W/O	55	181	236	107	207	314	4
08/31/2007	Fri	IND	14-6	W	-5/39	W/U	134	107	241	85	288	373	-2
08/27/2007	Mon	at ATL	19-24	L	-3/40½	L/O	86	213	299	74	223	297	-1

SUPERGRID
CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER BREAKDOWN		RANK		RANK
New England's Overall Scoring vs Cincinnati's Overall Defense	38.0	1	31.7	31
New England's Road Passing vs Cincinnati's Home Defense	297.0	4	207.0	15
New England's Road Rushing vs Cincinnati's Home Defense	134.0	9	107.0	19
Cincinnati's Overall Scoring vs New England's Overall Defense	31.0	4	11.7	3
Cincinnati's Home Passing vs New England's Road Passing Defense	181.0	26	167.0	4
Cincinnati's Home Rushing vs New England's Road Rushing Defense	55.0	29	60.0	4

TEAM WEATHER AND NEWS NEW ENGLAND Game Logs | Boston Globe CINCINNATI Game Logs | Cincinnati Enquirer Cincinnati, OH   Get the 10 day forecast   Hurricane Central   Interstate Forecast   Local Festivals 68 °F Cloudy Feels Like: 68°F Humidity: 52% Wind:  SSW at 8 mph Free Weather Alerts All league weather and news

POWER STATS YARDS PER POINT TEAM OFF DEF DIFF New England 11.6 17.7 -6.1 Cincinnati 12.7 12.7 0.0 YARDS PER PASS TEAM OFF DEF DIFF New England 9.9 4.9 5.0 Cincinnati 7.2 7.0 0.2 YARDS PER RUSH TEAM OFF DEF DIFF New England 4.3 3.4 0.9 Cincinnati 3.5 5.4 -1.9

NFL Teams reveal their intentions for the 2007 Season

by laffit-

Its week 4 now in the NFL and we are starting to see the true colors of teams this year.  Here's what week 3 showed us about several teams.

The Cincinnati Bengals proved that they are about the same as they were last and should hover around .500 all year.  Big games will be a crap shoot for them as they will win a few, lose a few.  They could get on a roll if they hit a soft spot in the schedule, but they have too many holes to be a serious contender.  Against the Spread will simply be guessing, stay away from either side in their games.

Jacksonville is going to be a team that could emerge as one of the better teams in the league, and ATS.  The move to cut Leftwich was brilliant, it showed everyone that Garrard is they guy and its time to get on with the season.  They are built on Defensive and a great running attack.  The Jags should cover lots of games easily this year as the build up leads and grind away the clock, which should lessen late spread covering TDs.

Dallas looks like an obvious contender and only a fool would argue diffenently at this point.  But... two problems concern me.  First, they will be overrated the rest of the year by the betting public and  impossible to get at a fair price.   Second, every year there's a team that starts off on fire and fades into late season oblivion.  Dallas does not have the look of a second half fade, but watch closely.  An injury to TO or Witten would crush the Cowboys.

Philadelphia Eagles are back on track.  They will steamroll plenty of opponents for the rest of the season.  This Philly squad has been very profitable ATS in division games.  Take a close look any time the Eagles play a rival.

Cincinnati Bengals Odds, Lines & Betting

Location : Cincinnati, Ohio
Stadium : Paul Brown Stadium
Coach : Marvin Lewis
NFL Championships : 0

 

Oct  1 2007  8:30PM    SpreadMoneylineOver/Under

 

New England Patriots    -7        -110        52.5    -110

 

Cincinnati Bengals        7            -110        52.5    -110

 

Favorite:New England PatriotsBet Now

Browns Team Info : The Cincinnati Bengals franchise began their play in the American Football League in 1968 under the ownership of Paul Brown. The team got its name from a Cincinnati pro football franchise that existed back in the 1930s and ‘40s.

In 1970, the Bengals claimed the AFC Central Division title to become the first expansion team to win a divisional championship in their first three years of play. Cincinnati went on to win its second AFC Central championship in 1973 and a Wild-Card berth in the 1975 postseason The next five years were not as positive as the Bengals struggled, but again came out on top in 1981 when they won the Division and Conference titles led by QB Ken Anderson and rookie WR Cris Collingsworth to earn a spot in Super Bowl XVI. They were defeated 26-21 by the San Francisco 49ers. The Bengals won the AFC Championship again in 1988 led by QB Boomer Esiason and rookie sensation RB Ickey Woods. The popular “Ickey Shuffle” may have been reason for celebration, but Joe Montana’s TD pass with 34 seconds left to go in that year’s Super Bowl left the Bengals on the losing end.

The Sin-Sin-Naughty Bengals’ 2006 NFL season was a perfect example of how team chemistry, or the lack thereof, can spell the end of playoff hopes. The Bengals had more players get arrested / questioned by police and charged than probably any pro franchise in any of the major sports, ever. The repercussions of last year’s mess may still play some havoc with this year’s squad, but the sheer level of talent is definitely there if they can gel once again as a team.

Quarterback Carson Palmer healed very well from a nasty knee injury in playoffs following the 2005 season and wideout Chad Johnson is still one of the most electrifying players in the league, but they might be better off releasing troubled receiver Chris Henry before he can do more damage than good. If the Bengals don’t make the playoffs this year, there will be a few jobs vacant along the Ohio River.

Official Team Site: Bengals.com