Bengals & Steelers Predictions

by Blake Butterfield

The Cincinnati Bengals had their dream season rudely awakened and smashed before their eyes last January when Carson Palmer, on his first pass of the game, had his knee destroyed by a rolling Steeler in the AFC Divisional game. That brought Jon Kitna into the game and lost the Bengals what chance they had to advance.

Fast forward almost 7 months and word out of Cincy is centered not on the return of their main man but instead on the rash of off-field legal problems and how those problems will not be a distraction to the team. Word now has it that last year’s leading tackler, Odell Thurman, suspended again for being a dope fiend, might not play at all. When asked why he was not at least with the team at practice, as NFL rules allow him to be, coach Lewis retorted, “If you want to be in charge of him, you're welcome."

The defense intercepted opposing QBs like nobody’s business last year but, besides the takeaways, they could stop no one. With the questions at quarterback, the distractions they say don’t exist, the loss of Thurman and the toughness of the upcoming schedule, look for this team to take a big step backwards. The season total is set at only 8.5 games for last year’s AFC North division champs and the public is taking the over in droves, driving the price up to -140. They are wrong. Take the under and the +110 deal it gives you.

Defending Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, have a few things going their way this year. Having every team after your head is not one of those things but, after the Steelers rolled to a 14-2 record two seasons ago, teams were after them last year too - and look what happened. Big Ben - lucky to have one at all – has a good head on his shoulders. He seems determined to continue building a legacy that, with one more year of consistent improvement on his part, will firmly establish him at the top of his profession along with men named Manning and Brady.

The biggest thing the Steelers have going for them is Roethlisberger, without question. In two seasons with Ben at the helm, this team has gone 27-4 with a Super bowl victory. They still have Bill Cowher as their coach. Hines Ward will still be catching balls and Duce Staley will take those one-yard plunges formerly given to Jerome Bettis. The loss of Randle-El, some say, is significant. It is not. This team is strong.
The books have taken down the over/under lines for the Steelers regular season wins but it was set at 10.5 before being removed due to uncertainty over Roethlisberger’s condition. If it comes back on at anything under 11 wins, jump on the over. The Bengals are going to fall and Pittsburgh will win their division with at least eleven victories as long as Ben is healthy. He has lost four games in two years. You think he’ll lose more than five this season? I’ll bet you're wrong!

For NFL AFC North Gambling Odds click here.

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