San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, 9/25/11, 1:00 PM EST, TV: FOX
Opening Point Spread: Cincinnati Pick’em
Current Betting Line: Cincinnati -2.5
Opening Total: 40
Current Total: 40.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
The Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers have both split their first two games of the season, and each of them are coming off tough losses last week. But the Bengals (1-1) will be playing their home opener on Sunday while the 49ers (1-1) venture to the road for the first time in 2011.
San Francisco (1-1) is already off to a better start than last year, when the team lost its first five games on the way to a disappointing 6-10 mark. That poor record ended up costing head coach Mike Singletary his job, and he was replaced by Jim Harbaugh this season.
Harbaugh has already brought a competitive edge to the 49ers, although they came up short last week against Dallas in a 27-24 overtime loss. They had gotten off to a 14-0 start a little more than midway through the second quarter, but a couple touchdown catches by Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin tied the score at 14-14 in the third quarter despite an injury to quarterback Tony Romo, who was forced to leave the game for one of them.
Romo returned later in the game though and threw another touchdown pass to Austin after San Francisco had built another double-digit lead at 24-14 with 11:12 remaining in regulation. Austin’s third touchdown catch of the game pulled Dallas within 24-21, and then the Cowboys forced overtime with a field goal as time expired and won it with another one less than three minutes into OT.
The 49ers pushed as 3-point underdogs and saw the OVER cash for the second straight game after covering the spread in their season-opening win over Seattle, 33-17. The Bengals (-2.5, O/U 40.5) have also been involved in two OVER games to start the season, and they are 2-0 against the spread following a 24-22 loss at Denver last week.
Cincinnati rookie QB Andy Dalton emerged last week with 332 yards and two touchdowns, but was not enough as the Broncos escaped with the home win. Dalton connected with fellow rookie A.J. Green on 10 passes for 124 yards, including the team’s final score with 11:17 left.
The Bengals will be without wide receiver Jordan Shipley, who tore the ACL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season. Shipley had four catches this season but made 52 last year to lead all AFC rookies. Starting RB Cedric Benson was suspended three games by the NFL due to an offseason altercation, but he has appealed it and is expected to play on Sunday.
San Francisco will also be without a key receiver, as Braylon Edwards injured his right knee in the loss to Dallas and required surgery. The 49ers will be getting back wide receiver Michael Crabtree (foot) though after missing last week’s game.
Cincinnati has lost eight of the last 11 regular-season meetings with San Francisco, but the Bengals are 5-1-1 ATS in the past seven. The OVER is 3-1 in the last four meetings.
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