Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets, New Meadowlands Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Thursday, November 25, 2010, 8:20 pm EST, TV: NFL
Opening Line: Jets -8.5
Current Line: Jets -9
Opening Total: 43.5
Current Total: 44
Money Line: Jets -400 / Bengals +330
One could definitely argue that the Cincinnati Bengals (2-8) completely lost their edge when they visited the New York Jets (8-2) in Week 17 of last season. The Bengals entered that game with a 10-5 record and as champions of the AFC North, but none of that mattered to the Jets (-9), who crushed them 37-0 and then beat them again 24-14 a week later at Cincinnati in the wild-card round of the playoffs. The two teams square off for the third time in less than a year on Thursday in New York.
The Jets needed to win the regular-season finale last year against the Bengals in order to get into the playoffs, but the mental edge they gained from that victory has served as a springboard for success ever since then. Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer had a miserable performance, completing 1 of 11 passes for 0 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. New York quarterback Mark Sanchez did not do anything fancy but also did not make any mistakes, connecting on 8 of 16 pass attempts for 63 yards and letting the running game do the rest.
As a team, the Jets rushed 57 times for 257 yards and scored four touchdowns on the ground. They followed that up by totaling 171 rushing yards on 41 carries the next week and overcame a huge performance from Bengals running back Cedric Benson, who ran for 169 yards on 21 carries. Benson has not reached that level since then, rushing for more than 81 yards only twice this season in losses to Buffalo and Tampa Bay.
Despite the addition of wide receiver Terrell Owens, Cincy’s passing game has also struggled in key situations. Palmer threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions in a 49-31 home loss to Buffalo last week, extending the team’s losing streak to seven. The loss to the Bills was especially painful because the previous six losses were all decided by eight points or less and the Bengals led 31-14 before surrendering 35 straight points.
Meanwhile, Sanchez has developed into one of the NFL’s most clutch playmakers in leading his third straight comeback victory since New York suffered a 9-0 loss at home to Green Bay. Two of the three games were won in overtime while the Jets avoided that scenario for a third consecutive week when Sanchez connected with wide receiver Santonio Holmes on a 6-yard touchdown pass with six seconds remaining in an eventual 30-27 win over Houston last Sunday.
The Jets have failed to cover three of their last four games even though they have won three of four straight-up with the OVER cashing in three straight. Cincinnati is 1-6 against the spread during the losing streak with the OVER going 5-2 in those games.
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