After a 2009 season in which the Bengals went 10-6 with a +14 point differential, Vegas has set the 2010 Regular season win total at 8. The bookmakers seem to be getting roughly the same amount of early betting on the over -110 on Bodog and the under -114 on Pinnacle. The 2009 season was a pleasant surprise for Bengal fans in that they won the AFC North. The offense was 24th in the NFL while the defense was 4th. Defensive guru Marvin Lewis finally got the Bengals to stop teams and the emergence of RB Cedric Benson added toughness to the offense. While the Bengals had a strong off-season the brutal schedule has the Bookbeater thinking under.
The Bengals had an active off-season signing WR Antonio Bryant, WR Terrell Owens and WR Matt Jones to make up for the death of WR Chris Henry and the loss of Lavernius Coles. It seems like the net will be an improved receiving core and a chance to duplicate their 2009 nfl football point spread record. The Bengals had what most believe was a strong 2010 draft adding the play-making TE Jermaine Gresham out of Oklahoma, pass rushing DE Carlos Dunlap out of Florida, Wes Welker lookalike WR Jordan Shipley and CB Brandon Ghee. All these players will likely add value to both sides of the ball. It’s clear that QB Carson Palmer who is another year removed from season ending shoulder surgery will have more weapons at his disposal. It’s a virtual certainty that the Bengals offense will be higher than 24th in 2010. The lock down CB duo of Jonathon Joseph and Leon Hall gives the defense the flexibility to play one on one on the outside and bring 9 to the ball. Injuries decimated the Bengals late in 2009 but those players are poised to bounce back this year. The defense should be strong once again.
If character and team chemistry matter in football the Bengals don’t see how. Once again, the Bengals have added, “character questions” in Terrell Owens and Carlos Dunlap to what appears to be an already volatile group. Can the personalities of Benson, Owens and Ochocinco co-exist if the Bengals stumble out of the gate? Talent is always the most important thing but division from within can ruin a team.
If real estate is about location, location, location than the NFL is about schedule, schedule, and schedule. Even though it looks like the Bengals should be better on paper they will have a hard time proving that come Sunday. The 2010 schedule break down like this: @NE L, BAL L, @CAR L, @CLE W, TB W, @ATL L, MIA W, PIT W, @IND L, BUF W, @ NYJ L, NO L, @PIT L, CLE W, SD L, @ BAL L. This might be the toughest schedule in the league. The only things to like about this are TB, BUF and CLE. They’d need 6 more wins to lose on an under o/u of 8. Hard to see how they get there.
2010 projected record from the NFL expert picks at Maddux Sports: 6-10. $$ out of $$$$ rating.
