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Showing posts with label cincinnati bengals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cincinnati bengals. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

NFL 2016 Week 14 RESULTS - Hedging the Straight Line


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Week 14 -- Playoff pretenders pushed down (and out).

1)  Pittsburgh Steelers –  won 5 slots and  knocked the Philadelphia Eagles out of playoffs consideration.

2)  Detroit Lions – won 4 slots and maintained a two game lead in the NFC North.

3)  Cincinnati Bengals – won 4 slots while keeping the Cleveland Browns winless.


Wednesday, December 07, 2016

NFL 2016 Week 13 RESULTS - Hedging the Straight Line

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Week 13 -- Favorites dominated for the most part.
1)  Cincinnati Bengals –  won 4 slots and essentially knocked the Philadelphia Eagles out of playoffs consideration.

2)  Denver Broncos – won 3 slots and covered the Spread though not projected to do so.

Wednesday, October 05, 2016

NFL 2016 Week 4 RESULTS- Hedging the Straight Line

This Week’s Steady Performers:

1)  Denver Broncos – won 4 out of 5 slots

2)  Cincinnati Bengals – won the two projected and the O/U

3)  Minnesota Vikings – won the two projected and split ATS (against the spread)

Saturday, January 09, 2016

NFL 2015 AFC Wild Card (Steelers vs Bengals)

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Heading into their Week 14 matchup, these two teams were my choices to come out of the AFC. With them facing each other in a Wild Card game, this lessens that likelihood. The next key factor is the injury, during that game, to Quarterback Andy Dalton which has caused the Cincinnati Bengals to be the underdog at home. 

Pittsburgh At Cincinnati (+3; 45.5) is an early referendum on AJ McCarron. Since McCarron replaced Dalton during the game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals have won two and lost two. The loss to the Denver Broncos is why they did not earn a bye.

As a starter, McCarron's play has been steady but his lack of experience and big strike capability will likely hinder the Bengals in these playoffs.

Even with Dalton starting, the Steelers have had success against the Bengals -- a record of 6 Wins and 2 Losses coming into this season. Early this season, the Steelers lost to the Bengals in a low-scoring affair. Since that game, Pittsburgh has scored 28 or more points, on way to a 6-2 record.

For Cincinnati, its defense has been the steady force since that game. The Bengals defense has held opponents to under 21 points in 7 of 9 games. To beat the Steelers, the Bengals will need to score 24 or more points.

Against the Spread (ATS) this game is a toss-up - a battle between Bengals defense and Steelers offense.

So, I take the Steelers (OVER) because the Steelers defense is not likely to give up over 21 points to AJ McCarron. Pick wisely, and check out the pick for the other playoff games.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

NFL 2015 Week 11 - EvenMoney's Game of the Week (Bengals vs Cardinals)

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Cincinnati At Arizona (-4.5; 48) pits two teams that are currently in second place in their respective conferences. This game has major consequences for teams chasing these two division leaders.

By tip-off time, Arizona will know whether it has sole possession of second place in the NFC. Barring a major losing streak, Arizona locks up the NFC West with a win.

This matchup comes down to the Cardinals offense versus the Bengals defense. The Cardinals have scored over 24 points in 7 out of 9 games. The Bengals defense has not yielded over 24 points this season, and is first in the NFL in Points Allowed.

This is not smoke and mirrors, as the Bengals have done this against 7 teams that score 21+ points per game.



When two top teams square off, something's got to give. In this case, the question is whether the Bengals "bend but don't break" defense can work against the Cardinals.

The Cardinals lead the league with 36 Extra Point Attempts and have attempted 18 Field Goals. Can you really go against that much offensive firepower?

So, I take the Cardinals (OVER). Pick wisely, come back for Monday's pick and until enjoy two top teams try to take that next step.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Texans Playing With House Money! - NFL 2015 MNF 10

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The Houston Texans can do no wrong tonight. They will literally be playing with house money. The current line is Houston At Cincinnati (-10.5; 46.5).

Even with a 3-5 record, the Texans are only a half-game behind the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC South division lead. A win tonight and they will be tied with a chance at making the playoffs. The two teams have a comparable strength of schedule for their remaining games, which means their meeting in Week 15 could decide the division.

A win tonight against the undefeated (8-0) Cincinnati Bengals can be the restart Houston needs. So far, the Texans have been inconsistent, partly due to key injuries, specifically to Running Back, Arian Foster.

The Texans are near last in NFL Rushing at 87.9 yards per game and 6th in Passing at 281.5 yards per game. Much of this has to do with falling behind early in games and having to abandon the run. There has been some inconsistency at the quarterback position with the benching of Brian Hoyer. Now that the Texans have released Ryan Mallett, the position is for Hoyer to stabilize or lose for good.



The Texans should approach tonight's game with reckless abandon -- Pass first, go for it on 4th down when reasonable and speed up the game, possibly with a hurry up offense. This might be the best strategy because the Bengals defense is currently second in the league in points (17.8). This is interesting because they are not Top 10 in any other major defensive category.

The Bengals allow opponents to rack up yards while killing lots of clock and then limiting them to Field Goals. On offense, their offensive talent can score quickly- 3rd in points (28.6) while being 14th in actual Third Downs Made.

Houston's defense suffered two weeks where they gave up over 40 points (48 and 44). If the Texans defense can give up at or below the 25.6 points per game it allows, then not losing by 11 points is very likely.

The question: can the Bengals score 28 points tonight against a Texans defense that has proven to be an enigma?

The numbers break Bengals (.789) and Texans (.211), but I'm going out on a limb because I think Hoyer has a chance to be real Texas gunslinger while the defense holds up.

So, I take Texans (UNDER).  Pick wisely, and come back for Thursday's picks and tonight we find out just how desperate the Texans are for a win.

Thursday, November 05, 2015

What Can Browns Do For You? NFL 2015 TNF 9

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With only 10 teams above .500 and 4 of them undefeated, what do you make of NFL 2015? There are three tiers: the undefeateds; the average, at 4+ wins; and the upset-minded.

The Cleveland Browns are of the latter caliber. Up until two weeks ago, before losing to the St. Louis Rams, the Browns looked average, like they could make a slow push to the playoffs.

These past two weeks, with losses at a combined 32 points, have pushed Cleveland down, to the point where no one is giving them a chance to win this Thursday Night Football matchup.

Cleveland at Cincinnati (-11.5; 45) stands as the Browns last chance to salvage the season or merely save face. With Johnny Manziel starting in place of injured Josh McCown, the odds are slim that Cleveland reaches the 28+ points it would take to beat the Bengals.



Cincinnati is one the of undefeated teams, beating opponents by 9.42 points per game. No opponent has scored more than 24 points all season.

That's where division rivalry comes into play. In their two NFC North matchups, the Bengals won by an average of 5 points and had to fight to the bitter end for both wins.

Division rivalries count for something and these two teams have split their past 6 games, with current standing and home field meaning very little. Winners have done so by 10+ points in five of the games.

Cleveland's defense gives up 24 points by seemingly walking on the field; and on average 27 points per game for the year. The weight of this game is on Johnny Manziel's shoulders.

That's a tough order, so I take Bengals (UNDER). Pick wisely, come back for Sunday's picks and look forward to the day Browns can do something for you.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

NFL 2015 Week 5 - EvenMoney's Game of the Week (Seahawks vs Bengals)

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Of all the intriguing matchups for NFL 2015 Week 5, Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals  (-3; 44) promises to be the game to decide two divisions and Super Bowl contention. If the Bengals win, barring a major injury, then the other teams in the AFC North are essentially playing for a Wild Card spot.

This win would put the Bengals at 5-0 and potentially 3 games ahead of the next team, if the Pittsburgh Steelers lose this week. Cincinnati has to keep pace with the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, when it comes to playoff home-field advantage in the AFC.

With the Seahawks having represented the NFC in the past two years, this is the Bengals' first true test for that next level. The prior wins -- all AFC contests -- have determined whether they should be in this discussion.

This game decides whether or not they remain a viable threat to play in the Super Bowl. For Seattle, sleep time is over. The Seahawks have been sleepwalking through the season like a team that ate too much of a carb-filled meal.

So far, nothing has knocked the chip off their shoulder, the one they think guarantees them another Super Bowl appearance. To their defense, the Seahawks have not had a reason to wake up. Yes, they faced the Green Bay Packers earlier this season. In all honesty, that game meant much more to Green Bay and the late game execution confirms this.

Seattle has taken two early season losses in stride and they've turned it on against two underwhelming teams. The two wins were at HOME and the two losses AWAY.

Today's game: AWAY. It is also the first inter-conference game for both teams. It is not a game that one can say defense will matter more than offense, and vice versa.

This will simply be a hitting game, a playoff level intensity that the Bengals have faced twice this season -- San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens. Both times, the Cincinnati Bengals got off to early scoring starts and held on for victories. A better way of framing it: the Bengals play all four quarters; the Seahawks, not so much.

At the end of the day, it comes down the passing game. Which quarterback will have more success? More precisely: can Russell Wilson expose what has been the Cincinatti Bengals weak spot?

I rarely call PUSH but with the line at -3 and a game likely to be 27-24. Which team do you think wins by a Field Goal?

I have the numbers as Seattle (.737) to win by 7 points, and the Bengals (.263) to win by 2 points.

Under those terms, I take the Seahawks (Over 44).

Pick wisely, come back for Monday's pick and Enjoy this playlist/mix.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

NFL 2015 Week 3 - EvenMoney's Game of the Week (Ravens vs Bengals)

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Cincinnati at Baltimore  (-1.5; 45.5) promises to be a battle and has the potential to be a season ending game for the Baltimore Ravens. Losing this game would put them at 0-3 and push their division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals to 3-0.

The Bengals are Top 5 in Scoring, Passing and Rushing. Even if one makes the claim that they have faced two AFC West teams that don't have a Defense like the Ravens, the question then becomes how good is the Ravens Defense?

Last week, the Oakland Raiders aired them out, in a shootout game where the Ravens trailed by 10 points early in the first quarter. To their credit, the Ravens Offense woke up and surpassed the Raiders output.

The Bengals Defense has performed better across the board than the Ravens and the Bengals beat the Ravens twice last season.

With all that, why pick the Ravens, not only to win but to cover the Spread? Reason: the Ravens have not lost their first three games of any season under John Harbaugh with Joe Flacco at Quarterback.

Lastly, the numbers are Cincinnati Bengals win by 2 points (.333) or the Baltimore Ravens win by 5 points (.667)

I go with Ravens (Under). Pick wisely, come back for Thursday's pick and Enjoy this playlist.

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Packers vs Cardinals – Even Money’s NFL PLAYOFFS PICKS

Packers vs Cardinals meet on Sunday in a NFC NFL Playoffs Wild Card game and is one of 3 matchups that feature teams who faced each other in NFL Week 17. For various reasons, the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals game is not the one you want to put your money on.

The Arizona Cardinals have Quarterback Kurt Warner and that along with his receivers are reasons enough to fear.


FULL ARTICLE

Ravens vs Patriots – Even Money’s NFL PLAYOFFS PICKS

Ravens vs Patriots meet on Sunday in an AFC NFL Playoffs Wild Card game that is a repeat of a battle they staged in NFL Week 4. In a normal year, neither of the teams with a bye would want to face the New England Patriots. But with a slew of reported injuries for Patriots players, the Ravens have a good chance of pulling an upset.

The Baltimore Ravens is still built on defense and the emergence of Ray Rice has allowed them to control the pace of games.

FULL ARTICLE

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Even Money’s NFL PICKS Playoffs Wildcard – Jets vs. Bengals

Jets vs. Bengals is the opening NFL Wild Card Game – Saturday afternoon. This game is one of 3 matchups that feature teams who faced each other in NFL Week 17. As with the other 2 outcomes, the winning team (New York Jets) routed its opponent (Cincinnati Bengals). Will this Jets vs. Bengals battle have a similar result of 37-0?

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Even Money’s NFL PICKS Week 15 – Chargers vs Bengals, RIP Chris Henry

Chargers vs Bengals is one of my marquee match-ups for NFL Picks Week 15. This one was slated to be a fierce and emotional battle between two divisional leaders because of this past summer’s Twitter spat between San Diego Chargers Line Backer Shawn Merriman, and Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver Chad Ochocinco. The recent death of Bengals Wide Receiver Chris Henry (RIP) adds to the emotions but might temper any possible bad blood.

Though Henry had not been a model citizen or teammate, Owner Mike Brown gave him another chance to play for the Bengals this season.

FULL ARTICLE

Friday, December 11, 2009

Even Money’s NFL PICKS Week 14 Sunday – Vikings vs Bengals

Vikings vs Bengals is one of my marquee match-ups for NFL Picks Week 14. There are two inter-conference battles with huge playoff implications for all 4 teams. The Minnesota Vikings welcome the Cincinnati Bengals to the Metrodome where the Vikings are undefeated and the offense led by Brett Favre averages 31.33 points per game.

In these 6 contests the Vikings have won by an average point differential of 13.5 but that figure is a bit misleading. Recent games against the Bears, Rams and Lions skew the numbers, as the Vikings won them by 26, 27, and 26 respectively. In the early part of seasons, the wins against the Ravens, Packers and 49ers averaged a 4-point differential, and with the Vikings needing last second scores in two of them.

FULL ARTICLE