Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals, Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Sunday, October 10, 2010, 1:00 pm EST, TV: FOX
Opening Line: Bengals -7
Current Line: Bengals -6.5
Opening Total: 38
Current Total: 38
Money Line: Bengals -290 / Bucs +240
We took these odds from Bookmaker where you can place wagers on all the NFL games
The Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) are not where they thought they would be through the first four games of the season, but they will need to put that disappointment behind them and try to avoid another upset bid when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) on Sunday. The Bengals (-6.5 on the current NFL odds) are coming off a 23-20 loss at Cleveland last week as small road favorites despite an impressive offensive performance while the Bucs had a week off following their first loss of the season.
Cincinnati was going for its third straight victory against the Browns but instead suffered a divisional loss for the first time since 2008. The Bengals totaled 413 yards, but quarterback Carson Palmer lost two fumbles to put a damper on his otherwise good game of 371 passing yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Terrell Owens hauled in 10 catches for 222 yards and one of those scores while running back Cedric Benson was held to 60 yards on 15 carries.
Benson’s role has shrunk a bit compared to last season, as he is averaging nearly a full yard less per carry for a Cincy rushing attack that ranks 27th in the NFL with 92 yards per game. Tampa Bay’s run defense has surrendered 141.3 yards per game on the ground so far and could be just what the Bengals need to get their running game back on track.
The Bucs could not stop the Steelers from running the ball all over them in a 38-13 home loss two weeks ago. Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 143 yards on 19 carries, and his team as a whole ran for 201 yards on 32 attempts to help out quarterback Charlie Batch.
Tampa Bay’s defense seems to believe the Bengals are a much more dangerous team through the air, which could be a mistake considering Benson’s potential for a breakout game. It would probably benefit both teams if they each decided to run the ball more when they meet. The Bucs already have six interceptions in three games and would like to grind it out offensively.
Like Benson, running back Cadillac Williams has not met expectations for Tampa by averaging only 2.5 yards per carry and not scoring a touchdown. Williams may see his role reduced if he continues to be ineffective, giving more opportunities to rookie LeGarrette Blount.
The Bucs have won the last two regular-season meetings with Cincinnati both straight-up and against the spread, although they have played each other twice since 2001. The UNDER is 9-1 in Tampa Bay’s last 10 games overall and 20-8-1 in the last 29 home games for the Bengals.
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