New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals: NFL Preseason Week 2 Betting Odds and Picks

New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Saturday, 8/16/14, 7:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Cincinnati -3.5
Current Betting Line: Cincinnati -3.5
Opening Total: 40.5
Current Total: 41
Odds Courtesy of 5Dimes

The New York Jets are expected to have one of the best defenses in 2014

New York has gone 10-11 SU under head coach Rex Ryan during preseason play, as it attempts to build off a 13-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts as 3.5-point home favorites last week, while going UNDER the betting total of 37. The Jets brought back seven-of-eight position coaches from 2013, which is important to consider when making your Week 2 NFL betting picks. Second-year quarterback Geno Smith will make his second consecutive start, as he’s taken 63 of 75 first-team reps in practice.

The Jets are expected to have one of the best defensive fronts in football, which is a good thing considering the secondary being in a state of flux, with second-year cornerback Dee Milliner being out for a few weeks with a severe ankle sprain. New York finished 11th in total defense last season—a slight improvement from its ranking of No. 11 during the 2012 campaign. Ryan will rely heavily on a front seven that returns every starter.

Cincinnati was involved in a game that set a franchise-record for most points scored in 207 preseason games to date last week, which resulted in a 41-39 setback to the Kansas City Chiefs as two-point road underdogs. Bengals starting quarterback Andy Dalton played only a series in that affair—posting a 104.2 passer rating in leading an 81-yard field goal drive. The squad is 4-5 SU versus New York in exhibition play, but it did pick up a 17-6 victory at Paul Brown Stadium in 2012.

The Bengals have a major weapon in wide receiver A.J. Green, as he’s tallied the most catches and second-most yards of any player in NFL history for his first three seasons. Dalton and Green make up a solid duo offensively, which has led to a 30-18 SU regular season record during their time in Cincinnati. Dalton’s thrown 56 touchdowns and just three interceptions in the red zone over the course of his career. During the Marvin Lewis era, the team is 55-13-1 in the regular season with a plus turnover margin, while going 12-54 when having a minus differential.