AFC North Gambling

AFC North Battle - October 18, 2006

That means the defending champions are now one game closer to first place in the competitive division.

And the Steelers didn’t just win at Heinz Field on Sunday, they absolutely destroyed the Kansas City Chiefs by a final score of 45-7. Pittsburgh was up 31-0 at halftime in the blowout, gave up a KC score in the third quarter, then put up two more touchdowns in the final frame for good measure. That improved the Steelers’ ’06 season mark to 2-3.

Ben Roethlisberger looked closer to his old self versus the Chiefs, completing an efficient 16-of-19 pass attempts for 238 yards, with two touchdown strikes and zero interceptions. Willie Parker ran for 109 yards on 21 carries and scored twice in the victory, while Hines Ward and Nate Washington each caught passes in the end zone.

The Bengals were defeated 14-13 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road on Sunday, holding the opposition scoreless in the first half but giving up touchdowns in each of the final two quarters to take the loss. The win was Tampa Bay’s first of the year, and the winning TDs were engineered by rookie quarterback Bruce Gradkowski.

With the loss Cincinnati fell to 3-2 on the season, after beginning the year with three straight victories. Carson Palmer wasn’t bad against the Bucs (24-of-37 for 261 yards passing, one touchdown, zero interceptions), but the team’s offense still couldn’t get much going. Rudi Johnson picked up just 52 yards rushing off 17 carries in the defeat.

Not only did the Ravens lose their second straight game on Sunday (after starting the season 4-0), but they also lost their starting quarterback. Steve McNair was knocked out of their 23-21 home loss to the Carolina Panthers in the first quarter with a sprained neck and a concussion; he’ll be re-evaluated during Baltimore’s upcoming bye week.

The Panthers led 13-7 at halftime versus Baltimore, but backup quarterback Kyle Boller almost led his team to the win. Boller tossed touchdown strikes to Mark Clayton and Todd Heap in the fourth quarter, but a scoring pass from Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith midway through the frame gave the Panthers enough of a bulge for the victory.

So heading into Week 7 the Ravens sit atop the AFC North with a 4-2 record, with the Bengals at 3-2, and the Steelers now much closer at 2-3 (and, for the sake of completeness, the Browns in the cellar at 1-4). And placing wagers on the teams in the AFC North division this season has been a bit of a crapshoot – Baltimore is 3-3 against-the-spread in ‘06,

Cincinnati is 3-2, and Pittsburgh is 2-3 (and Cleveland is 2-3 as well).

With Baltimore idle in Week 7, the Bengals and the Steelers will both get a chance to make up some ground on the division leader. Cincinnati will get a visit from the Panthers, with VIP.com listing the Bengals as 3.5-point home favorites in that contest. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, will head to the Georgia Dome for a Week 7 matchup with Atlanta; oddsmakers like the Steelers on Sunday too, as they’re 2.5-point favorites.

The Ravens (and possibly McNair as well) will return to action on Sunday, October 29, but they’ll be playing against a hot New Orleans Saints team in the Superdome. The Bengals will get a home game in Week 8 (against the Falcons), while the Steelers will be playing league doormat Oakland (albeit on the road). Needless to say, the AFC North standings could look much different when the calendar is changed to November.

For more online gambling odds, please visit, VIP.com.

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