The Baltimore Ravens have a chance to take early control of the AFC North as they are slight favorites in NFL odds at Cincinnati on Sunday. The Ravens came away with a hard fought 10-9 win at New York last week while the Bengals stunk it up against the Patriots. It is too early to call any game a must-win in NFL betting but the Bengals would be in real trouble if they lose this game.This is a tough spot for the Ravens but they might just have enough talent to win anyway. Baltimore played on Monday night and won a very emotional game against the Jets and now they have to go on the road to face the defending AFC North champs. It sounds like a good spot for the Bengals but they looked so bad last week it is tough to trust them. Baltimore is a 1.5 point favorite at the Sbg sportsbook and the total on the game in NFL betting is 40.
True Test for Baltimore’s Secondary – Last week the Ravens were not even tested in the secondary. For some inexplicable reason the Jets would not throw the ball more than three or four yards. The weakness of the Ravens is in the secondary where they are missing Ed Reed, Domonique Foxworth and Lardarius Webb. You would think that the Bengals would test that secondary with Carson Palmer throwing to Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens.
Trap Total – At first glance the total on this game seems way too high at 40. Baltimore has a great defense and a total this high in NFL odds just seems wrong. It is a trap total by the odds makers. The Ravens were shut down on offense last week but they should score against a Cincinnati defense that was torched last week by New England. And we already mentioned that the Bengals should exploit a weakened Baltimore secondary. It is not easy going over the total in Baltimore games, especially when the number is so high but that is why it will win.
Can You Trust the Bengals? If you think that Cincinnati is good then this is a great spot for them. The problem is trusting a Marvin Lewis team and any team that has Terrell Owens on it. The Bengals are a grease fire waiting to happen. The trends sure do favor them though. The Ravens are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Cincinnati and the underdog in this series is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings. Plus the Ravens are 1-6 against the NFL odds in their last 7 games following a Monday night contest.