Last Updated on August 14, 2009 2:06 am by Anthony Rome
Bengals at Saints Odds
Team teams likely heading in opposite directions are set to due battle Friday night as the Cincinnati Bengals travel to the Big Easy to take on the New Orleans Saints.
The Bengals are hoping that 2009 won’t be a repeat of 2008 when they lost starting quarterback Carson Palmer for virtually the entire season due to injury. Palmer is expected to be ready for the regular season opener, but the team is unsure how much he’ll play in preseason.
When he does return to the field, Palmer will be without one of his main weapons over the past couple years, as receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh signed a free agent contract with Seattle this offseason. Palmer still has Chad Ocho Cinco at his disposal, but who knows if the flamboyant receiver will bounce back after a lackluster ’08 season.
The Saints are primed and ready for what they believe will be a great year, hopeful culminating in a postseason berth. Quarterback Drew Brees, running backs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, tight end Jeremy Shockey and wide receiver Marques Colston all return to lead what should be one of the best offenses in the NFL again this season.
The key for New Orleans will be whether or not its defense will step up and keep opponents out of the end zone this season. The Saints signed Paul Spicer and Darren Sharper to free agent contracts over the offseason, and also re-signed linebacker Jonathan Vilma and drafted top cornerback Malcolm Jenkins in the first round of April’s draft.
The Bengals have been made 3.5-point underdogs according to oddsmakers from online sports book SPORTSBETTING.com. The over under for this Bengals-Saints matchup has been set at 37.
The trends in his preseason matchup definitely don’t favor Cincinnati, as the Bengals are 0-7 against the spread against the NFC South. The Saints don’t fair much better, however, as they’re 8-21 ATS in home preseason games.
Game time between Cincinnati and New Orleans is set for 8:00PM ET.
NFL Preseason Week 1: Bengals at Saints Odds & Over/Under Totals:
Bengals +3.5 Over 37
Saints –3.5 Under 37
Posted: 8/14/09 2:05PM ET