Bengals vs. Cowboys Pick
Will the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys find themselves in a defensive battle when they meet up on Sunday at 4:25PM ET?
According to the oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Bengals are a slim favorite on the road, as they are getting odds of -1 point against the Cowboys. The over/under total for the game is listed at 45.5 points. Dallas has won five of the last seven meetings with Cincy and these two have hit the under in three of four meetings.
Despite injuries to Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, the Cowboys have managed to get off to a 3-1 start following a 24-17 win over the 49ers. They have gone 2-2 with the over/under total this season thus far. Offensively, the Cowboys are moving right along, averaging 25.3 points and 402 yards per game thanks to a pair of rookies. Ezekiel Elliott has rushed for 412 yards and three touchdowns while Dak Prescott has thrown for 1,012 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, Dallas is allowing just 19.3 points and 365.8 yards per game. However, the Cowboys are a bit suspect against the pass, giving up 271 yards per game.
The Bengals are off to a 2-2 start following a 22-7 win over the Dolphins last week. Cincinnati is also 2-2 with the over/under total. Last week the Bengals returned to being a defensive power, holding Miami to just 222 total yards. For the season, Cincy is giving up an average of 20.5 points and 334.8 yards per game. The unit has racked up nine sacks this season to go with six turnovers. Offensively, the Bengals are averaging 19.5 points and 389.3 yards per game. The scoring total could be better but red-zone struggles are hurting Cincy right now. They were hoping that would be better starting this week with the return of Tyler Eifert, but the tight end suffered a new injury that has him out for this week. Despite the loss of Eifert this season, Andy Dalton has still thrown for 1,234 yards, but only has three touchdowns. A.J. Green has two of those scores to go with 32 receptions for 468 yards.
NFL Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
The Bengals seemed to have found something defensively last week with the return of Vontaze Burfict. They will likely stack the box and force Prescott to beat them, which I think could be tough for the rookie. For Cincinnati, their red-zone struggles are likely to continue without Eifert, who had 13 touchdowns in 2015. Green may connect for a big play here and there, but Cincy hasn’t been able to consistently score.
NFL WEEK 5 PICK: COWBOYS/BENGALS UNDER 45.5