Lions at Bengals NFL Spread

Written December 4, 2009 by Kyle Hunter

For quite a few year s the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions have been the laughing stock of the NFL. This year the Lions are still very bad, but the Bengals have put it together and are probably the most surprising team in the National Football League. Those making football predictions have been shocked by the Bengals and their amazing turnaround. A team that was once plagued by terrible defense now leads the league in points allowed and Marvin Lewis and the Bengals sit 2 games ahead of Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the tough AFC North division. Can the Lions go into Cincinnati and play spoiler? Get an extra $500 bet on football when you sign up at BetUS and make an initial deposit of $500 or more.

The Cincinnati Bengals have turned a glaring weakness into a strengthwith the amazing progress made by their defensive unit. The defense is allowing just 15.8 points per game, best in the NFL. The defense is also third best against the run and does a terrific job holding teams to field goals once they enter the red zone. The offense has also made some nice upgrades in the past year. Cedric Benson was signed a a free agent when no one wanted him and now he is one of the best runners in the league behind an offensive line that is much improved as well. Larry Johnson was also signed as insurance policy and just last week he rumbled for 107 yards. Carson Palmer is back this year at quarterback and while his passing yards aren’t the best, he has shown a great maturity and has led the team from behind numerous times this year. Chad Ocho Cinco is the best wide receiver, but Andre Caldwell is coming on and is helping take some pressure off of Chad.

The Detroit Lions are a little bit improved this year, since they have already won 2 games. Matthew Stafford is having a rough rookie campaign,but he has really been thrown into the fire, and he should end up being a good pro quarterback. Stafford has thrown 18 interceptions and just 12 touchdowns, but the lack of a running game has also hurt him and the team as a whole quite a bit. Kevin Smith is the leading rusher for the Lions, but he is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry. The Lions as a whole are averaging only 96.2 rushing yards per game, 25th in the NFL. The defense has been very bad, allowing more points on average at 30.5 than any other team in the NFL. The Lions are the worst pass defense in the league, allowing 282.5 yards per game through the air.

The NFL betting lines for this weekend show the Bengals as a 13 point home favorite in this one. The posted total on this game is 42 points. When making your NFL picks for this weekend consider that the over is 22-8 in the Lions last 30 road games, but the under is 12-4-1 in the Bengals last 17 home games.

The Bengals haven’t really been a team that’s blown teams out very often this year, so laying a lot of points on them is dangerous. On the other hand, it is very tough to put anything on a team as bad as Detroit against a solid team like the Bengals. I will sit out on the side in this game, because I see no real value. Expect the Bengals to move the football pretty easily in this one and the Lions to move the ball, but be hurt by turnovers and settling for field goals.

Check out my premium packages for this weekend. I am 20-6 this year on college football plays and I’ll have a full slate for this weekend. I’ll also have some values in the NFL as well as the NBA and college hoops so stay tuned for this weekend’s card!