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The Cincinnati Bengals will travel to take on the New Orleans Saints in a Sunday afternoon NFL matchup in the Superdome. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NFL odds series, which includes a Bengals-Saints prediction and pick, laid out below.
The Bengals are off to a poor 2-3 start, with the issue once again stemming from their inability to protect franchise quarterback Joe Burrow. Head coach Zac Taylor has a lot of talent surrounding Burrow, but the offensive line needs to give the gunslinger more time to throw.
New Orleans has also posted a 2-3 record, this season being the first in a long time without Sean Payton at the helm. New head coach Dennis Allen is in charge of a team for the first time since 2014 when he was fired by Oakland in his third season leading the team. New Orleans is still a season or two away after the retirement of Drew Brees.
Here are the Bengals-Saints NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Cincinnati Bengals: -2.5 (-115)
New Orleans Saints: +2.5 (-105)
Over: 43.5 (-110)
Under: 43.5 (-110)
There is no arguing that Joe Burrow is a top-ten quarterback in the NFL. The issue with Burrow is the inability of the offensive line to provide enough security. Burrow has been sacked an astonishing eighteen times in his five games. Still, Burrow has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,316 yards, with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Burrow has added 85 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground, ranking as the team’s second-leading rusher.
Joe Mixon leads the team with 302 rushing yards and a touchdown. Ja’Marr Chase and Burrow are extending their college connection in the pros, with Chase leading the team with 32 catches for 343 yards and two touchdowns. Tee Higgins is tied for second with 20 catches, and ranks second with 315 receiving yards, catching two touchdowns as well. Cincinnati is averaging 21.6 points per game, which ranks sixteenth in the league.
Cincinnati’s defense has been spectacular, ranking eighth by allowing 17.8 points per game. The most points allowed by Cincinnati was 23 to Pittsburgh in the season opener. Logan Wilson leads the team with 33 tackles, including one for a loss, and has added an interception. Trey Hendrickson leads the team with two and a half sacks, while Cincinnati has racked up eight as a team. Vonn Bell leads the team with three interceptions, while Wilson and Jesse Bates each have intercepted one.
Jameis Winston has toughed out some broken bones in his back, missing the last two games before returning to practice on Wednesday. It is unclear whether Winston will be back for this game or not. If not Winston, Andy Dalton will be the starting quarterback for New Orleans. Dalton has started two games, throwing for 432 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Swiss Army Knife Taysom Hill leads the team with 228 rushing yards, scoring five touchdowns on the ground and one on a pass. Alvin Kamara is second with 203 rushing yards but has not scored a touchdown this season. Rookie Chris Olave leads the team with 25 catches and 389 yards, scoring two touchdowns. Michael Thomas is back and seems to not have missed a beat, leading the team with three receiving touchdowns. New Orleans ranks twelfth in the league with 23 points per game.
New Orleans’ defense has struggled, allowing 25.6 points per game, which ranks 26th in the league. Pete Werner leads the team with 47 tackles, including one for a loss and two forced fumbles. Cameron Jordan leads the team with three and a half sacks, while the team has totaled ten on the season. Tyrann Mathieu has intercepted the only pass this season for this defense.
New Orleans’ defense is brutal, so Burrow should score a ton of points.
Final Bengals-Saints Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati -2.5 (-115), over 43.5 (-110)
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