Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals NFL Odds
Written September 24, 2008 by Jack Jones
The Cincinnati Bengals are hoping to rebound from a tough loss in Week 3 against the New York Giants, while the Cleveland Browns look completely lost after their latest setback against the Baltimore Ravens. The two teams will square off inside Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday with one of the two teams picking up their first win. The odds makers at Sportsbook.com have the Bengals pegged as 3.5 point favorites, with a total set at 44.5.
Even though the Bengals can’t be happy to have started the season out at 0-3, at least it seems like the team is getting better each week. In the Week 1 opener against Baltimore, nothing could go right as the offense gained only 154 yards and didn’t score a touchdown.
Then last week Cincinnati came into the game as two touchdown underdogs but gave the defending champions all they could handle before losing by a field goal in overtime. Even though the Giants bring a pretty good defense to the field, the Bengals were able to gain 347 yards of offense, which was only 22 fewer than they had amassed in their first two games of the year combined.
The Browns on the other hand are still looking for something positive to say about their season so far. The offense has been scary bad, gaining only 207.3 yards per game after finishing ninth in the NFL last year with 360.1 ypg.
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Quarterback Derek Anderson made the Pro Bowl last year, but now he’s looking like a flash in the pan. After throwing for 29 touchdowns in 2007, he only has two so far this year with five interceptions. His passer rating is a dismal 43.5, which is 31st in the league.
With Anderson struggling there are plenty of people speculating that it is only a matter of time before the 2007 first-round pick, Brady Quinn, takes the offense over. Head coach Romeo Crennel has done his best to squash the rumors, saying Anderson was going to be his starter this weekend. That hasn’t stopped a quarterback controversy from brewing, as Quinn will most likely see some action against Cincinnati if Anderson continues to stall the offense. It’s by no means a guarantee that Quinn can turn things around since he’s attempted all of eight regular-season passes in his short career. If you think Cleveland can bounce back, bet the Browns +3.5 point spread at Sportsbook.com and get a 100% bonus on your first winning wager!
While there isn’t a quarterback controversy in Cincinnati, Carson Palmer does need to get back in Pro Bowl form. He had only 228 passing yards through the first two games, but bounced back against the Giants with 286 yards and a touchdown on 27-for-39 passing.
He was helped by receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh, who had 12 catches for 146 yards, but so far his other favorite target in Chad Ocho Cinco has yet to get going. Ocho Cinco has only 88 yards so far in 2008 on eight catches, and he still hasn’t found the end zone. Maybe a game against the Browns will jump start his season, as he has four 100-yard games against the team, including his 11 receptions for 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the first meeting between the two teams last year.
That game had both Palmer and Anderson looking like Pro Bowlers, with Palmer’s six touchdowns besting Anderson by one. Cleveland still came out on top 51-45.
Cincinnati got their revenge later in the season, 19-14, in a game that kept their in-state rivals out of the postseason. The Bengals are trying to keep alive their four game winning streak against the Browns in front of the home crowd.
One things for certain, whoever loses this game has dug themselves into a pretty deep hole with little to no chance of crawling out of it to make the playoffs. The loser sits in last place in the AFC North, and with Baltimore and Pittsburgh playing the way they are, there most likely will be no coming back. Bet the Bengals -3.5 at Sportsbook.com using your credit or debit card.
If the Browns are going to have a chance to pick up their first win, Braylon Edwards has to get going. After finding the end zone 16 times a year ago, he is yet to score a touchdown in 2008 and is one of the league leaders in dropped passes, not exactly a stat your top receiver should be competing for. Maybe he can get going this week since he had four touchdowns against the Bengals in the two games last season.
Predicted Score: Bengals 24, Browns 20
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