Sunday, September 13, 2015

O.co Coliseum

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

The Cincinnati Bengals hit the road to play the Oakland Raiders on Sunday at O.co Coliseum. The opening line for this matchup has the Bengals as 3.5 point favorites and the over/under was set at 44. The Bengals had an ATS record of 8-8-1 last year, which meant they covered the spread 50% of the time. Their over/under record was 6-11-0. The Raiders covered the spread 50% of the time as well, finishing the campaign with an ATS record of 8-8-0. Their over/under record was 10-6-0.

Cincinnati has Andy Dalton back at quarterback. He finished last season with 3,398 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Dalton was booed at the All Star game in Cincinnati, so this may be a defining season for him with the fans. Jeremy Hill returns at running back for the Bengals following an outstanding 2014 season. Hill ran for 1,124 yards on 222 carrries, finishing the year with an impressive 5.1 yards per carry. A.J. Green is the top returning receiver for Cincy, but his 2014 was a bit of a disappointment by his standards. Green caught 69 balls for over 1,000 yards, but he missed 3 games due to injury and was banged up for a lot of the season. Mike Nugent will handle the kicking duties again in 2015. Last year he made 26 out of 33 field goals, so he'll be looking to improve on his accuracy this season.

The Bengals placed linebacker Vontaze Burfict on the PUP list to start the season, meaning he can't return until Week 8. They also sent Marquiss Flowers to injured reserve. In terms of offseason practices, coaches are raving about Tyler Eifert and referring to him as "uncoverable" at camp. Local reports note that Andy Dalton seems to throw to Eifert "whenever he's in a jam or needs a big play," a sign the duo is developing trust and an on-field rapport. Finally healthy, Eifert has a chance to finish second on the Bengals in passing-game targets this season, behind A.J. Green.

Derek Carr returns for the Raiders, coming off an impressive 2014 season. Carr threw for 3,270 yards last year, completing 348 out of 599 attempts for a completion percentage of 58%. He threw for 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, showing that he's a quick learner and could be a great quarterback in this league for a long time. Roy Helu is the most experienced running back in Oakland, but he'll split carries with a few other guys. Helu ran for only 216 yards on 40 carries for Washington last season, which shows he won't be relied on to carry the Oakland running game. Rookie Amari Cooper will be Carr's favorite target this season, and if his performance at Alabama is any indication, Cooper may turn out to be one of the better wide receivers in the entire league by the end of the season. Sebastian Janikowski will return as the kicker for Oakland. Last season he made 19 of 22, including 3 from over 50 yards. He's one of the best and most reliable kickers in the league, so in tight games the Raiders will definitely feel good about themselves.

The Bengals are 7-1-2 ATS in their last 10 games in September. The under is 4-0 in their last 4 games in September, is 4-0 in their last 4 games on grass, and is 7-0 in their last 7 road games. The under is also 7-2 in the Bengals last 9 games overall and is 5-2 in their last 7 vs. the AFC.

The Raiders are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games on grass. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 vs. the AFC and is 5-1 in their last 6 games overall. The over is 4-1 in the Raiders last 5 games on grass and is 6-2 in their last 8 home games.

In head to head matchups, the under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings and the home team is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.

Cincinnati Betting Trends

Cincinnati was 6-11-0 against the over/under last season

Cincinnati had an ATS record of 8-8-1 last season

Oakland Betting Trends

Oakland was 10-6-0 against the over/under last season

Oakland had an ATS record of 8-8-0 last season

Injuries to Watch

Cincinnati

09/05/15 LB Marquis Flowers Shoulder out indefinitely
09/05/15 LB Vontaze Burfict Knee PUP

Oakland

08/31/15 T Menelik Watson Achilles out for season

Guy's Pick: Take Oakland

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