I would imagine that just about every NFL betting enthusiast in the free world wishes they had jumped on this game when the line opened at Cincinnati +1. Sure, the Bengals lost their home opener against Pittsburgh, but if they hadn’t lost their deep snapper to a bizarre bicep injury, then things would have ended as regulation expired. Joe Burrow overcame a four-interception day to lead a drive to tie the game at 20. However, yips with the emergency snapper led to poor blocking on the extra point, which got blocked. A high snap on an overtime field goal attempt led to the laces facing the kicker, and a bad hook to the left. Pittsburgh smacked a field goal attempt of their own off an upright, but then Chris Boswell nailed a game-winner. Will Burrow throw four more interceptions against Dallas? It’s not likely. Will Dallas be able to move the ball with CeeDee Lamb, maybe a limited Michael Gallup, and a bunch of undrafted free agents running routes? They couldn’t against Tampa Bay, and their offensive line still has about 2 ½ draft-quality players. With Dak Prescott out after surgery to repair a fractured thumb, the line shot up in Cincinnati’s direction – so now you can read our thoughts as to whether you should jump on that Bengal bandwagon or not.
NFL Preview: Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys
(Sunday, September 18)
When: Sunday, September 18, 2022, 4:25 pm ET
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
TV: CBS
Radio: WLW 700 AM Cincinnati / KRLD 105.3 FM Dallas
Live Stream: Sling TV
NFL Odds: Cincinnati -7 / O/U 41.5 // Cincinnati -355 / Dallas +278
Why should you bet on the Bengals?
Joe Burrow was one of the most clutch quarterbacks in the NFL last year, particularly in the last two-thirds of the season. He had to overcome his own mistakes in Week 1, but he had two touchdown passes to go along with those four picks, and he ended up going 33 of 53 for 338 yards. Ja’Marr Chase was the top receiver with 10 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown, and Joe Mixon carried the ball 27 times for 82 yards. Tee Higgins had to leave with a concussion, and he remains questionable for Sunday.
Dallas got pushed around by Tampa Bay tailback Leonard Fournette, who not only ran for 127 yards but gave Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons a blindside block while Fournette was dealing with a defensive lineman. That impact seemed to slow Parson down the rest of the way, and if Mixon and Samaji Perine can get as much running room as Fournette did, Burrow shouldn’t have to pull off as many sparkling plays by himself.
Why should you put your money on the Cowboys?
It’s possible that Joe Burrow & Co. come into town riding a wave of arrogance, but that would be likelier if the Bengals had managed to pound Pittsburgh into the ground. This is a week for lessons, not boasting, so I expect Burrow to be ready. He got sacked seven times last week, and the Cowboys can apply pressure in the passing game.
The real question is what the Dallas offense will be able to manage. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush will play in lieu of Prescott, but Prescott didn’t do all that well in Week 1 before he went down with that thumb injury, throwing for just 134 yards and a pick, going 14 of 29 on the night. Noah Brown had five catches for 68 yards to lead the Dallas receivers, but his catches did not have a lot of impact on the game.
Final Score and Prediction
Dallas has covered in five straight when playing a team with a losing record and in five of their last six games coming after a loss against the spread. They have been particularly solid in Week 2, covering in seven of their last nine games the week after the opener. The fact that Dallas has Rush at quarterback instead of Prescott confounds a lot of this conventional betting wisdom. The Bengals should be able to get after Rush and dominate the pacing and rhythm of this game. I predict a final score of Cincinnati 30, Dallas 20.
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