Cincinnati Bengals Favored Over Baltimore Ravens
By Brett Foote
Sep 7, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett (29) runs through the hole during the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Cincinnati Bengals defeated Baltimore Ravens 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
After spending the last two weeks as consensus favorites over their respective opponents, this week the Baltimore Ravens hit the road as underdogs against their division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals. We suppose that Vegas hasn’t been paying much attention to the way these two teams have been trending in recent weeks.
It’s true that A.J. Green might be able to play Sunday, which would make a huge difference. The Bengals simply haven’t been the same offensively since their star receiver went down with injury, a fact that was on full display last week as they pitched a goose egg against the Indianapolis Colts.
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Meanwhile, the Ravens have registered two big victories in a row and are a much better team than the one that lost to the Bengals in week one of the season. The offense is playing at a high level, and the defense is simply dominating, especially at the first and second levels.
Here is the breakdown of how each Vegas outlet predicts the outcome of Sunday’s game.
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While the consensus spread is the smallest of any NFL game this week, we can’t help but disagree with the decision to make the Bengals favorites. We understand the preference of many to always give the nod to the home team because they statistically win more often than not. But the momentum and the direction both teams are headed in here is hard to ignore.