Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns (-6.5), Total 35.5 |
The Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns will be playing for the 76th time Sunday afternoon when facing off inside Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns opened up as a 3-point home favorite and has since moved to 6.5-7 in most spots.
Sunday’s contest will also mark the sixth time that the intrastate rivals have opened regular season play against each other, with the Browns holding a 3-2 advantage. Cleveland has tallied a 5-4 all-time mark when facing divisional foes during the opening week.
Bettors will be interested to know that the Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their last five September games, while the Browns are 1-10-1 in their last 12 season openers in NFL betting.
Cleveland finished the 2011 preseason with a 1-3 SU and ATS record, dropping three consecutive games after capturing a 27-17 home win as 2.5-point favorites in the exhibition opener. The Browns were out-gained in three of their four games as well.
First-year coach Pat Shurmur will make his debut as the 13th full-time head coach in Browns history, as his resume includes 23 years of coaching experience, with 12 coming in the NFL.
Quarterback Colt McCoy will begin the year as the starter, as he played in eight games last year, completing 135-of-222 passes for 1,576 yards and six touchdowns.
The Browns rushing attack is in good hands with Peyton Hillis, who gained 1,177 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, while also catching 61 passes for 477 yards and two more scores in 2010.
The team is 0-4 ATS in its last four home games and the ‘under’ is 9-7 when playing inside its home venue the past two years.
It’s a season of change in Cincinnati after finishing with a 4-12 record during the 2010 season, as fans will no longer watch quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco on the field together.
The Bengals filled those roles by drafting TCU quarterback Andy Dalton and Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green, but the duo will need time to develop chemistry, as the team scored just 47 points combined in four preseason games.
Cincinnati holds a 39-36 advantage in the series, but has posted a 15-22 record when playing against Cleveland on the road. It’s the second-most played series for the franchise, trailing only its 118 meetings with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bengals have posted a 19-24 record in season openers overall, including a 6-13 mark on the road. During head coach Marvin Lewis’ eight years on the sidelines, the team has gone on to win three of eight such contests.
Bettors will ultimately find that the underdog is 7-1 ATS in this series and the ‘under’ is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
