Bengals vs Cardinals +3 O/U 44.5
I hope that everyone has finally figured out that the Cardinals are not tanking. Last week vs the 49ers, the score was a bit misleading as the Cardinals were definitely in that game. This handicap is more about the Bengals. I think that is is CLEAR to me that Joe Burrow can’t move with that calf injury and the fact that their offensive line hasn’t panned out thus far is certainly a big issue. How many weeks of data should this game need? After four weeks the tale is certainly telling. The Bengals rank 27th in offensive EPA while the Cardinals rank 9th. On defense, the Cardinals rank 29th in EPA while the Bengals rank 24th. If you want to talk strength of schedule, I would argue that playing the Cowboys, Giants, Commanders and 49ers is at least as hard as the Bengals playing the Browns, Ravens, Rams and Titans. Lastly, the Cardinals have a huge matchup advantage on the ground rushing 5.3 yards per rush while the Bengals allow one of the league’s worst at 5.1. Take the Cardinals plus the free points.
Cardinals +3 – 2 stars
Teaser: Saints to +7.5 with the Texans to +8 – 3 stars. The Patriots are banged up on defense while the Falcons have no quarterback.
