New Orleans Saints at Cincinnati Bengals, Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Sunday, December 5, 2010, 1:00 pm EST, TV: FOX
Opening Line: Saints -6.5
Current Line: Saints -7
Opening Total: 47
Current Total: 48.6
Money Line: saints -270 / Bengals +230
The New Orleans Saints (8-3) seem to be returning to Super Bowl form, which is bad news for a Cincinnati Bengals team looking to snap an eight-game losing streak when they meet on Sunday. The Bengals (2-9) had aspirations of making the playoffs for the second straight year heading into the season, but those dreams have been shattered. Now they hope to play the role of spoiler down the stretch, starting with this game against the defending champion Saints (-7).
Cincinnati will have had 10 days to prepare for New Orleans following a 26-10 road loss to the Jets on Thanksgiving. The Bengals lost to New York for the third time in less than a year and really have not been the same team since losing to them in the 2009 regular-season finale. They had already clinched a playoff berth at the time but then proceeded to lose again to the Jets the following week and have not recovered.
Meanwhile, the Saints got off to a bit of a rough start this season but are riding a season-high four-game winning streak. They were 4-3 through their first seven games and are starting to peak offensively, totaling 30 points or more in each of their last three games. New Orleans has also had 10 days off to prepare for Cincy after edging Dallas 30-27 on Thanksgiving.
Quarterback Drew Brees was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year on Tuesday and has carried his team during the winning streak. After throwing a season-high four interceptions in a 30-17 home loss to Cleveland in Week 7, Brees has thrown nine touchdown passes and five picks to go along with 1,292 passing yards (323 per game). He hopes running back Reggie Bush will make more of an impact in his second game back from a fractured fibula, as Bush had only one carry and one catch in the win over the Cowboys.
Unlike Brees, Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer has struggled immensely under center over the last five games. Palmer has thrown nine interceptions and nine touchdowns during that stretch and was held to a season-low 135 passing yards against the Jets last week. Wide receiver Terrell Owens was limited to a season-low three catches for 17 yards as well after calling New York cornerback Darrelle Revis “average” prior to the game.
The Bengals have won the last three meetings with the Saints both straight-up and against the spread, including a 31-16 victory at the Superdome in 2006. The UNDER has cashed in four of the last five meetings between the teams.
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