Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) vs. Tennessee Titans (4-3) NFL Betting Preview
Coming into the season not many people expected much of anything from the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals enter this game at 5-2, and very much in the thick of the AFC North race.
Tennessee had all kinds of question marks as well, but the Titans are just half a game back of the Texans in the AFC South.
Time/Date: 4:05 PM EST, November 6, 2011
Venue: LP Field
Broadcast: CBS
Bengals vs. Titans Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
Spread: Titans -3
Moneyline: Titans (-145) Bengals (+125)
Over/Under: 42
This battle of two surprising teams will take place Sunday afternoon in Nashville. This game means a whole lot more than most people thought it would when the schedules were released before the season.
Andy Dalton stepped right into the starting quarterback spot for the Bengals, and he has done a brilliant job. After Carson Palmer bailed out on the team, many wondered what would happen with the quarterback position. Dalton has solidified the spot quickly. He has done a nice job managing the game and taking what the defense gives him. Dalton definitely benefits from having a star rookie wide receiver in A.J. Green on the outside. Green has 33 receptions and five touchdowns in his rookie campaign. Cedric Benson is expected back from his suspension this weekend, and he has had a solid 2011 thus far.
The primary reason Cincinnati is where they are right now is the terrific play of their defense. The Bengals defense ranks fourth in total defense and fourth in points allowed per contest. The defensive line is playing much better than last year, and the team has been getting consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Adam Jones, Rey Malaluga, and Dontay Mach are all listed as questionable for this game. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Matt Hasselbeck was considered done by many people after a poor season last year in Seattle. Hasselbeck has gone out and started the year out in impressive fashion, despite not really having many play makers on the outside. Kenny Britt is injured for the season, which really hurts this group of wideouts. Chris Johnson is struggling badly in the backfield this year. In fact, the Titans rank dead last in the NFL in rushing offense. If this Tennessee team is going to make a push for the playoffs, they need Johnson to get going.
The Titans defense is 19th in the NFL in total defense, but they have forced a lot of turnovers this year. Tennessee is allowing just 20.7 points per contest. This has been a bend and don’t break defense so far in 2011. The strength of this defense is their secondary, led by Courtland Finnegan and Jordan Babineaux. One big weakness so far this year for this unit has been their inability to stop opponents on third down. Opponents are converting 45% of their third down attempts.
I don’t see either of these offenses exploding for a ton of points this weekend. Expect both teams to try their best to establish the running game in this one. I think the clock keeps rolling and this one stays low scoring.
Free NFL Pick: Under 42
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