Both these teams are hungry for a win in this one, but for different reasons. For Cincinnati they need to keep pace with the other division leaders in the AFC and this is still a young team that doesn’t want to let doubt settle in.
Teams Moving in Opposite Directions Meet Halloween Night
The Cincinnati Bengals, winners of four straight games will attempt to keep their two game lead in the AFC North when they meet the Miami Dolphins who have been blowing leads the last few weeks and are riding a four game losing streak.
The Cincinnati Bearcats and Memphis Tigers are having two drastically different seasons, but that won’t stop them from clashing on the field in Week 10. Up to this point, the Bearcats are 5-2, having won four of their last five outings. The Tigers, on the other hand are 1-5, with their only victory coming against the Arkansas State Red Wolves.
The Cincinnati Bengals sit alone atop the NFC North and will aim to keep their three-game winning streak intact when they take on AFC playoff hopeful the New York Jets on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.
A pair of 4-2 teams will meet at Ford Field on Sunday when the Detroit Lions host the Cincinnati Bengals. The winner of the game will take a big step towards a lead in their divisional race, while the loser will have some work to do.
It’s been a roller coaster ride in Cincinnati as the Bengals arrive in Buffalo to take on a Bills team that’s without their starting quarterback.
Following a 10-win season, the Cincinnati Bearcats entered the 2013 season with plenty of promise, but they find themselves reeling after a pair of poor efforts on the road. They get the Temple Owls at home this week.
Pitt is on an impressive run winners of 6 of their last 7 games and they upset a top 10 Syracuse the last time they faced a ranked team.
The Bearcats have lost 2 of their last 3 games and there is a good chance they stay in the W column facing a DePaul team that has lost 3 of their last 4 games. Cincy is only 2-2 in Big East play and they need to win these types of games since there are 4 teams in the conference that are ranked.
Headline: 2012 Wild Card Rematch – Texans Host Cincinnati in Round 1
Two teams heading in opposite directions meet on Wild Card Saturday when the Cincinnati Bengals winners of seven of their past eight games try to avenge a loss in last year’s AFC Wild Card game against the Houston Texans who have lost three of their last four games.
The Cincinnati Bengals put it all together down the stretch beating the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in their last two games to qualify for the playoffs.
Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) vs. Houston Texans (12-4)
Date/Time: Saturday, January 5, 4:30 PM ET
Venue: Reliant Stadium
Broadcast: NBC
Bengals vs. Texans Betting Lines from betonline.com
Spread: Texans -4 1/2 (-110)
Moneyline: Bengals +185: Texans -215
Over/Under: 43 points
ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!
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Defense has been the name of the game for Cincinnati but having Andy Dalton and AJ Green in the fold certainly doesn`t hurt either.
The Bengals enter Saturday`s tilt with the league`s 17th ranked passing game and the 18th best rushing game. But there is no denying the weapons in this team. Andy Dalton has looked poised, AJ Green has emerged as one of the two or three best receivers in the NFL and Benjarvus Green-Ellis finally stepped up down the stretch and became a legitimate threat each and every time he touched the ball.
While the offense has been doing its job, the Bengals defense has proven to be the difference for this team. They finished the season 7th in the NFL against the pass and 12th versus the run. Cincinnati has developed a stellar pass rush which figures to give Matt Schaub and the Houston O-line fits on Saturday.
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As for the Houston Texans, it is simple – they haven`t played well down the stretch losing three of four all by double digits. Matt Schaub has struggled mightily and the offensive line has failed to provide the necessary protection for this team to succeed. Heading into the playoffs, there isn`t a whole lot of confidence coming out of Houston and rightfully so.
The Texans finished the regular season with the 11th best passing offense and the league`s 8th ranked rushing game. But the success came early – they have had issues all over the field the last couple of months. You have to score points to win and at present the Texans are having a hard time getting in the end zone. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
It is not only Houston`s offense that has struggled lately – the defense that had been top 3 in almost every statistical category for the first two third of the season can`t get off the field. This unit ended up with the 16th versus the pass and they were 7th against the run – not too bad until you look at the numbers through the last third of the season. Houston still has playmakers on defense for sure (JJ Watt) but they have failed to maintain the chemistry that made the one of the best early in the season.
Betting Prediction:
A few trends to consider:
• Cincinnati is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cincinnati’s last 8 games
• Cincinnati is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati’s last 6 games on the road
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 games
• Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
• Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
• Houston is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
The Bengals have been playing very well at home and away down the stretch – they are 6-1 in their last seven on the road. On the flip side, Houston has been bad everywhere lately. While I like Wade Philips to devise a defensive scheme against Cincinnati, I have little faith in the Texans offense in this one, especially against a furious, ball-hawking defense. In a low scoring game I like the Bengals to avenge their loss in this game last year and send the slumping Texans packing.
Pick: Cincinnati Bengals +4 1/2
The Eagles will not be making the playoffs are their hugely disappointing season, but at least they are coming off a win, which snapped their 8-game losing streak.
The Bengals have won 4 straight and are now tied with the Steelers for 2nd place in the AFC North and they are in the playoff picture. The same goes for the Cowboys, who are tied with the Redskins for 2nd place in the NFC East and only trail the Giants by 1 game.
The Bengals (2-2) have got back in the playoff picture by winning their last 2 games and getting back to .500. There is a good chance they will get over .500 in this game since the Raiders (3-7) have lost 3 straight games and are only 1-4 on the road this season.
The Giants (6-3) are coming off a loss and they have not looked good in their last games with a struggling Eli Manning and not much of a rushing offense.
Headline: Bengals and Jags Look to Build on Winning Weeks
The Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars meet on Sunday both coming off impressive Week 3 wins. For the Cincinnati Bengals it has been all about offense during their two game win streak – they face a Jacksonville team with a glimmer of confidence after their Week 3 come-from-behind win against Indy.
Bengals Travel to Baltimore for key AFC North Clash
The Baltimore Ravens begin their 2012 season on Monday night with high hopes of getting over the hump and getting back to the Super Bowl. In their way in Week 1 is one of the teams that they will have to better – the young guns of the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals.
