NFL Week 14 Picks: Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, 12/8/13, 1:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Cincinnati -5.5
Current Betting Line: Cincinnati -6.5
Opening Total: 44
Current Total: 43
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck has been under siege by opposing defenses since arriving in the NFL

Indianapolis has alternated wins and losses over its last five games, as it picked up a 22-14 victory over the Tennessee Tennessee Titans as 3.5-point home favorites last week, while going UNDER the betting total for the first time in six contests. The Colts would clinch the AFC South title for the first time since the 2010 campaign with a win, which is important to consider when making your NFL expert picks. The team forced a season-high four turnovers in Week 14. Indianapolis is 1-3 SUATS as road underdogs of 3.5 to 7 points the last two-plus seasons, with the OVER going 3-1 in that situation.

The Colts haven’t done a good job recently in protecting second-year quarterback Andrew Luck, who has thrown two touchdowns and five interceptions over his last four contests, while being sacked 70 times since being drafted out of Stanford. “We’re sitting in a good position, but nothing is sealed up,” stated Colts head coach Chuck Pagano. On the defensive end, outside linebacker Robert Mathis leads the league with 15.5 sacks, but could be neutralized with this contest being played outdoors at Paul Brown Stadium.

Cincinnati has won and covered the number in back-to-back games, including a 17-10 victory over the San Diego Chargers as 2.5-point road favorites last week, while going UNDER the betting total of 48.5. The Bengals sit atop the AFC North standings and want to get an upper hand on potentially securing the No. 3 seed in the playoffs over this Sunday’s opponent, which can’t be ignored when looking over the pro football odds page. Cincinnati is 8-0 SU and 6-1-1 ATS as home favorites of 3.5 to 7 points since 2011, with the OVER going 5-3 in those eight opportunities.

The Bengals are 12th in the league in scoring offense, while sitting behind just four teams in terms of scoring defense. Cincinnati is 5-0 at home for the first time since 1988—something not lost on the locker room. “There’s no question we’re starting to create a tough environment,’ commented Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth. The franchise is on pace to outscore opponents by a 389-288 margin through 16 games this year.