Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Sunday, December 19, 2010, 1:00 pm EST, TV: CBS
Opening Line: Bengals -1
Current Line: Bengals -1.5
Opening Total: 41
Current Total: 40
Money Line: Bengals -130 / Browns +110

The Cincinnati Bengals (2-11) hope to avoid setting a franchise record for consecutive losses on Sunday when they host the Cleveland Browns (5-8) in an AFC North divisional battle.  The Bengals (-1.5) started their 10-game losing streak with a 23-20 loss at Cleveland in Week 4, and they have covered the spread just twice since then.

To say Cincinnati was enduring a disappointing season would be a major understatement considering the team went 6-0 in the AFC North last year en route to winning the division title.  The Bengals added wide receiver Terrell Owens in the offseason to form what looked to be a dangerous tandem with Chad Ocho Cinco, yet both players have not lived up to the hype.

Owens started the season strong and looked like he could be at least on his way to the Pro Bowl, but his production has fallen up dramatically in the last five games.  He has made more than four catches and totaled more than 64 yards receiving only once since a stretch when he scored seven touchdowns in five games.  However, he did total a season-high 222 yards on 10 catches and scored a touchdown in the first meeting with the Browns.

Ocho Cinco has not been much better, although he has made progressively more catches in each of the last four games.  He has scored just one touchdown during that stretch and has been held to less than 96 yards 10 times this season.  Much of the blame has been shifted to Cincy quarterback Carson Palmer, who has thrown 12 interceptions in the last seven games.

Cleveland has been extremely competitive in its last seven games, going 4-3 straight-up but only 3-4 against the spread due to greater expectations.  The Browns have not been beaten by more than seven points in any of their last three losses, all of which saw them as underdogs of less than four points.  They have covered each of the last three meetings with the Bengals despite dropping two of them straight-up.

Rookie quarterback Colt McCoy took snaps with Cleveland’s first-team offense on Wednesday, a positive sign that could lead to his return to action against Cincinnati.  McCoy has been bothered by an ankle injury that has forced him to miss the last three games.  The Browns had scored 20 points or more in his previous four starts but have totaled 19 combined in their last two.

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