New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati Bengals: NFL Week 5 Betting Odds and Predictions

New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, 10/6/13, 1:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Cincinnati PK
Current Betting Line: Cincinnati PK
Opening Total: 45
Current Total: 45.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Patriots Jets AFC Playoff Preview — The New England Patriots are an NFL-best 35-7 in the month of October since 2003

New England improved to 4-0 with a 30-23 win last week against the Atlanta Falcons as three-point road underdogs in Week 4, while going OVER the betting total for the first time this season. The Patriots are an NFL-best 35-7 in the month of October since 2003—winning 26 out of their last 30 games in that situation. The franchise has won seven of its last eight regular season meetings between the clubs dating back to 1993, which is important to consider when making your NFL expert picks Sunday. New England is 1-3 SUATS versus AFC North division opponents the last two-plus seasons, with the UNDER going 3-1 in those four affairs.

The Patriots are set to play consecutive games on the road for the 25th time under Bill Belichick, as they look to improve upon their 33-17 record in those 50 games away from Gillette Stadium. New England quarterback Tom Brady needs one touchdown pass against the Bengals to extend his streak to 53 straight games with at least one throwing score. It’s also important to point out that the squad has forced a turnover in 31 straight games dating back to 2011.

Cincinnati had its two-game winning streak snapped in suffering a 17-6 defeat to the Cleveland Browns as 3.5-point road favorites last week, while going UNDER the betting total of 42.5. “There’s obviously an awful lot of football left, and nobody is running away from the pack in the division,” stated Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. The Bengals are hoping that quarterback Andy Dalton bounces back after a horrible performance, as he was held to a 58.2 passer rating in Cleveland. Cincinnati is 11-8-1 ATS in games where the betting line is between +3 to -3.

The Bengals rank tied for fifth in the NFL in offensive red-zone touchdown percentage at 66.7, which can’t be ignored when looking over the pro football odds page. Since joining Cincinnati in 2011, Dalton has thrown 37 touchdowns and no interceptions in snaps inside an opponent’s 20-yard line. He has thrown 15 more red-zone scores than the next-best active signal-caller without a pick in that situation.