NFL Week 6 Picks: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills
Sunday, 10/13/13, 1:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Cincinnati -7
Current Betting Line: Cincinnati -7
Opening Total: 45
Current Total: 42
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Cincinnati Bengals are 6-2-2 ATS as favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 2011

Cincinnati picked up a 13-6 home victory over the New England Patriots as two-point home underdogs in Week 5, while going UNDER the betting total for a second consecutive contest. “I think this shows how tough we are,” commented Bengals cornerback Adam Jones. The Bengals are 3-0 at home this season, but 0-2 on the road, which is important to consider when making your pro football betting picks. The franchise is 12-15 all-time in this series, including a 3-9 mark when playing away from home. Cincinnati is 9-1 SU and 6-2-2 ATS as favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points the last two-plus seasons.

The Bengals’ three wins this season have all come against quarterbacks that have won Super Bowls—holding those three players to a combined 63.2 passer rating. Cincinnati is dangerous in the red zone due to signal-caller Andy Dalton, who had thrown 37 career touchdown passes in that area before being picked off. The team is 35-2 under head coach Marvin Lewis when a rusher records 25 or more carries, which can’t be ignored when looking over the pro football odds page.

Buffalo has alternated wins and losses over its first five games of the 2013 NFL season, as it looks to bounce back from a 37-24 setback to the Cleveland Browns as 3.5-point road underdogs last Thursday. The Bills will be looking to win three home games in a row since 2011, while they’ve won 10 of their previous 11 meetings against the Bengals. Offensively, the team ranks 14th in the league in averaging 348.6 yards per game, with most of that coming from the third-best rushing attack. Buffalo is 3-1 SUATS as home underdogs of 3.5 to 7 points the last two-plus seasons.

The Bills will need a huge performance out of running backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, as quarterback Thad Lewis will make just his second professional start. It’s important to point out that Buffalo was the first team in league history to score 20 or more points in five games to open the season when being led by a rookie signal-caller, but EJ Manuel is out until at least mid-November with a knee injury.