NFLX Week 4: Colts vs Bengals Spread
NFL Week 4 preseason betting action sees the Indianapolis Colts taking on the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, August 28th at Paul Brown Stadium. Cappers Picks provides free NFL handicapping tips all season long.
A pair of division winners from last season will tangle in the final week of the NFL Preseason when the Indianapolis Colts (0-3-0) take on the Cincinnati Bengals (1-2-0) on Thursday night in Cinci.
NFL Preseason Lines
Who: Indy vs Cinci
When: Thursday, Aug 28th 2014 at 7:00pm ET
Where: Paul Brown Stadium
TV: Local
NFLX Football Line: -2.5 (Bengals)
NFL Preseason O/U: 41.5
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The reigning AFC North Division champs from Cincinnati will get a visit from the 2013 AFC South champs out of Indianapolis in the final tune up game of the NFL Preseason. This game could be a tone setter as both teams prepare to defend their division crowns and the two will lock horns for real in week seven of the regular season.
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With just one preseason victory between the two teams, it can be assured that both are anxious to get this one out of the way and start playing some meaningful football, so don’t expect this game to blow the doors off, as many starters will be rested ahead of next week’s regular season opener.
Bengals
The offense has sputtered in the last two weeks for the Bengals, who after amassing 39 points in week one of the preseason against the Chiefs, have managed just one offensive TD since. In their first preseason victory last week over the Cardinals, their defense dominated and scored the only touchdown in a 19-13 win.
Andy Dalton has taken care of the ball this preseason and is without a turnover to this point. The flip side of the coin is that he has managed to throw just one touchdown pass in 34 attempts. Dalton attempted 21 passes in last week’s victory, completing 13 of them for 157 yards.
The Bengals defense shone last week, holding starting QB Carson Palmer to under 100 yards in the air on 19 attempts and picked him off for a 54 yard TD.
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Running back Giovani Bernard was a non-factor last week, rushing for just 17 yards on 10 attempts (1.7 yds/carry). The diminutive back has yet to open up this preseason and is averaging less than three yards per carry with just one TD on 20 rushes and his longest run was a nine yard scamper against Kansas City.
Colts
Indianapolis will be happy to bid farewell to a preseason that hasn’t seen a victory to this point, though a regular season opener against the Denver Broncos at Mile High might not be the easiest way to get off on a winning note.
Though they sit at 0-3-0 the Colts have only been outscored by a combined 10 points in their three defeats and the defense has been stingy, holding opponents to an average of under 300 total yards of offense per game.
Third year QB Andrew Luck has thrown just two TDs this preseason on 41 attempts.
With 18 pass attempts in each of his last two preseason appearances, Luck shouldn’t see much work in the final week of the preseason and second stringer Matt Fossilbeck (Hasselbeck) will likely take the majority of the snaps against the Bengals on Thursday night.
The run game has improved each week for the Colts, who amassed 59, 75, and 160 yards on the ground in their first three exhibition contests respectively.
Trent Richardson has yet to factor into the ground attack in any significant way, averaging about 2.5 yards per carry with none of those finishing in the end zone.
Recent NFL ATS & O/U Trends
- Colts are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 Thursday games.
- Over is 5-1 in Colts last 6 road games.
- Colts are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 vs. AFC.
- Bengals are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
- Over is 5-1 in Bengals last 6 home games.
- Bengals are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games on fieldturf.
- Favorite is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
- Home team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
WEEK 4 NFL-X Colts vs. Bengals Free Pick
I’m going out on a limb and taking the visitors in this one. The Bengals’ offense has been pretty stagnant and the Colts’ D has been solid. I can see this game being a back and forth battle for field position that may take a defensive score to turn the tide.
Something tells me that the Colts are going to want to get the feeling of winning in their blood before they open their regular season against a pair of division champs in the Broncos and Eagles in their first two weeks.
The Pick: Colts +2.5 (-110)
Bonus Pick: Under 41.5 (-110)
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