Bengals vs. Colts Total Pick
With Andrew Luck back in the lineup, will the Indianapolis Colts offense return to its form when it takes on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at 1PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
457 Cincinnati Bengals at 458 Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, September 9, 2018
1PM ET – Lucas Oil Stadium
TV: CBS
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Colts are a slight favorite at home in this game, as they are getting odds of -2.5 points against the Bengals. The over/under total is listed at 48 points. The public betting for this game currently has 69 percent going on Cincinnati on the road. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NFL Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Bengals disappoint in 2017
The Cincinnati Bengals had a lackluster 2017 season that saw them finish 7-9 and miss out on the playoffs for the second straight year. Marvin Lewis remains head coach, as he is in his 16th year with the Bengals despite not having won a single playoff game. Cincy was 9-7 against the spread last season and 9-7 with the under.
The Bengals had the league’s worst offense last year in yards, averaging just 280.5 per game while posting 18.1 points per contest. Andy Dalton threw for 3,320 yards and 25 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Cincy is hoping for more from its run game. They had just 1,366 yards as a team last season. Joe Mixon underwhelmed as a rookie, rushing for 626 yards and four scores. A.J. Green still finished with 1,078 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in a down year. Defensively, Cincinnati allowed 21.8 points and 339.1 yards per game. The team still has two strong D-linemen in Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins, who combined for 16.5 sacks in 2017.
Colts struggle without Luck
The Indianapolis Colts suffered a 4-12 season last year after not having Andrew Luck due to his neck injury. The team parted ways with Chuck Pagano and hired Philly’s offensive coordinator, Frank Reich, to take over as head coach. The Colts were 8-8 against the spread and 10-6 with the under.
The Colts ranked second-to-last in the NFL in offense, averaging just 284.6 yards per game last year with 16.4 points per game. Luck’s return should help that. He threw for 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2016 when he played in 15 games. He still has his top receiver with him in T.Y. Hilton, who managed 966 yards and four scores without him in 2017. With Frank Gore gone, Indy will look for a running back by committee this year, utilizing a bunch of young players. Defensively, the Colts struggled last year as well. They allowed 25.3 points and 367.1 yards per game. They had just 25 sacks and 20 turnovers forced.
NFL Betting Trends
Cincinnati
The Bengals have hit the over in four of their last five conference games and in six of their last eight Week 1 games.
Indianapolis
The Colts have hit the under in their last eight games overall and in 37 of their last 55 home games.
Prediction:
Neither team had a good offense in 2017, but the Colts believe that should change with Luck back. It may not get off to a great start as there could be some rust for him. The Bengals can apply some good pressure and I don’t think Reich wants to have Luck taking a lot of hits in his first start. I could see some conservative play calling for Indy. The Bengals just aren’t a great offense in general without much of a run game. The Indy defense should be aided by having the offense do anything to keep them off the field. I expect this game to be low-scoring and a bit of a grind.
NFL Prediction: Bengals/Colts Under 48