Bengals vs. Seahawks: Pro Football Handicapping Preview and Predictions

Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, 10/30/11, 4:15 PM EST, TV: CBS
Opening Point Spread: Cincinnati -2
Current Betting Line: Cincinnati -2.5
Opening Total: 38.5
Current Total: 37.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Cincinnati Bengals are known as one of the worst favorites in the NFL

Cincinnati is coming off its bye week and will be looking to make it four consecutive wins, looking to post a perfect October for the first time since the 1975 season. The Bengals seem to have hit a home run with quarterback Andy Dalton and A.J. Green in the draft this year. “I feel we can be as good as we want to be,” commented Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap about the team in practice this week. Offensively, the team ranks 17th in the league in scoring and 22nd in total offense, while the defense is second in the league. The squad also prides itself in causing turnovers, entering with a plus-three turnover margin. Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS on the year and the ‘over’ is 5-1 as well.

The Bengals have been a terrible favorite over the last two-plus seasons, posting a 3-12 ATS mark, but have turned it around a bit by cashing two of three tickets in that particular role in 2011. Green is a big-time player on the outside offensively, leading the team with 29 catches and 453 yards, while also coming down with four scores. Cincinnati is always in a game due to a defense that hasn’t surrendered more than 24 points in any contest.

Seattle is coming off an abysmal performance that saw it gain just 137 yards in a 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns as three-point road underdogs last week. The Seahawks have to be troubled by the effort due to coming off a bye week before the contest. “We never got going,” commented Seahawks second-year head coach Pete Carroll. The offense has been a problem for the entire year, ranking 31st in gaining just 262.8 yards, while also putting up just 16.2 points a contest. Seattle is 10-19 ATS as an underdog the last two-plus seasons, while the ‘over’ is 20-9 in that particular situation.

The Seahawks will need to try and get off to a quick start on Sunday, scoring just 27 first-half points this year. Seattle has certainly been a second-half time in piling up 33 and 37 points in the third and fourth quarters respectively. One break that the team will get is not having to face Cincinnati running back Cedric Benson, who will be serving a suspension, but the stop unit has been solid in playing the run by limiting opposing backs to 3.2 yards per carry.