Bengals/Browns
Time NOON CST
Spread: PICK
Total: 44

Betting odds c/o Bovada

The Cincinnati Bengals are 8-4-1 and hold a half game lead on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Behind these teams in fourth are the Cleveland Browns who find itself at EVEN odds against a tough Bengals team as listed per the NFL Daily Lines. The Browns are 4-3 at home this season while the Bengals are 4-2 on the road.

Cincinnati had its three-game win streak snapped last week by the Steelers, which may not bode well for its chances of hanging onto the division. The Steelers won 42-21 and the Bengals D allowed the Steelers to rack up 543 total yards and 25 first downs.

The Bengals also were horrible on third down themselves, converting just 3-of-11 while getting outscored 32-7 in the second half of the game after leading by four at the half. The Steelers 25 point fourth quarter was a bit much, and Le’Veon Bell rushed for 185 yards and two TDs, including a long run of 53 yards. The Steelers just couldn’t be stopped, and the Bengals D has been its weakness all season.

Cincinnati is giving up 247.5 passing yards per game this season and 130.3 rushing yards. During the three-game win streak against New Orleans, Houston and Tampa Bay, the Bengals held opponents to 12 points per game, but in losses this year the team has given up 136 points in four games (34 points per). The 37 point tie is excluded, but Mike Nugent could have made that different had he hit the 36-yard field goal that left the game tied and bizarre.

Andy Dalton has thrown for 2,891 yards on the season at a 63.7 percent completion ratio with 7.3 yards per attempt. What has been troubling for Dalton and the Bengals has been the 13 interceptions to go with just 15 touchdowns. He’s rushed for 133 yards, but is getting just 2.7 yards per carry. Given the ineptitude of the Bengals’ D, it’s not entirely beneficial that Dalton embodies mediocre.

In the backfield, Jeremy Hill has been very good. He’s rushed for 729 yards with a 4.8 yard per carry average and has six TDs on the year, though he has fumbled twice. Hill has caught 24 passes for another 201 yards, but has not scored a receiving TD.

Leading wideout A.J. Green has 910 yards and six TDs on the year, while No. 2 WR Mohamed Senu has 754 yards and five TDs, as well as nine catches for 20 yards or more. Sanu also has not fumbled it this season, while Green has fumbled for a loss. Sanu also leads the team in yards after catch (320).

The Browns have been pretty middle of the road offensively and imbalanced but passable defensively. Cleveland ranks 15th in both passing and rushing yardage this season, while ranking 9th in pass defense and 26th in rush defense.

Brian Hoyer has been better than expected, but that’s mostly because no one expected him to even hold off rookie Johnny Manziel. Hoyer has thrown for over 3,000 yards and averages a solid 7.5 yards per attempt.

He’s had serious accuracy problems, however.

Hoyer has more INTs (12) than TDs (11) and has been sacked 21 times. He’s throwing just 55.3 percent for completion. His passer rating is 76.3. It’s hard to figure why Manziel hasn’t just taken the reigns, except for the fact Hoyer is just competent enough to allow the Browns to stay in games, and to compete for the playoffs. And that is the reason NFL teams don’t start rookies most of the time.

But that is coming to an end:  Manziel will get his first NFL start this Sunday in a game Browns fans are anticipating more than the entire season of quasi-playoff contention.  The Texas A&M rookie has brought excitement back to Cleveland, along with that LeBron James fella.  While many have questioned “Johnny Football’s” mechanics, no one questions his intangibles and big play making ability.  His highlights in the NCAA alone warranted some team taking a stab at the controversial yet charismatic personality.

In the backfield, the Browns are getting contributions for Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell and Ben Tate, all of whom have rushed 100 times or more on the season. West leads the way with 556 yards, but Crowell holds the team high eight TDs this season (though he has fumbled three times). Hoyer has been a disaster on carries, getting less than a yard per.

The Browns have a trio of WRs with more than 500 yards: Andrew Hawkins, Miles Austin and Taylor Gabriel. Of these, Gabriel leads them in yards per catch (17.8), while Travis Benjamin, the third-year WR from Miami (FL) leads the team in receiving TDs (3). Last week he caught one pass for 27 yards, after having been targeted for five passes, his most since Nov. 6.

The point total for this game is set at 44 points for online football betting.