Vikings vs Bengals NFL Handicapping
The Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in an inter-conference clash. The Bengals are coming off a woeful loss to the Steelers in front of a national audience on Sunday night, while the Vikings picked up an impressive win over the Eagles, 48-30.
Minnesota Vikings (4-9-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (9-5)
Date: Sunday, December 22, 2013
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Paul Brown Stadium
City: Cincinnati, Ohio
O/U Odds: 47.5
Spread: Cincinnati -8.5
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Cincinnati could have further closed the door on the AFC North division with a win in their big Sunday night game, but came out flat and fell to the Steelers by a score of 30-20.
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Quarterback Andy Dalton didn’t get going until the game was already decided, which is why his line of 230 yards and two touchdowns looks far better than the way he played. He’ll need to bounce back in this one and has the perfect opponent to do so against in a banged up Minnesota secondary. Running back Giovani Bernard got most of the work against Pittsburgh out of the backfield, even stealing goal line touches away from BenJarvus Green-Ellis, which left the veteran fuming on the sideline. Top wideout A.J. Green had the best game of the bunch, bringing in nine balls for 93 years, while fellow wideout Marvin Jones continues to emerge, catching five passes for 48 yards and a late score.
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The team’s defense was nowhere to be found in the early going of this game, allowing Pittsburgh to build up a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, and a 30-7 lead entering the fourth quarter. In total, the Steelers generated just 290 yards of offense, but didn’t need to do much after the early going of the game.
Minnesota put on an offensive show in their last game despite the absence of their top offensive weapon Adrian Peterson, beating Philadelphia 48-30.
Matt Cassel got the nod at quarterback in what was just about the first decision Leslie Frazier has gotten right this season. Cassel completed 26 of 35 passes for 382 yards with two scores and an interception, adding 19 yards and a score on the ground. He was helped out by receiver Greg Jennings, who finally looked like the big-money free agent the Vikings were hoping to get when they signed him. Jennings caught 11 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown. Running back Matt Asiata didn’t look great in relief of Peterson, averaging just 1.7 yards per carry, but the team did feed him the rock 30 times, and he did find the endzone three times.
The writing is on the wall for this game as the Vikings are 0-6-1 on the road this season, while the Bengals are 6-0 at home. The question comes down to whether or not the number is big enough to steer us away, and given Cincinnati’s dominance at home this season, it likely won’t deter many from backing the Bengals.
The Bengals are 7-0 ATS in their last seven home games.
The play: Cincinnati -8.5
