Obviously this is assuming the Bengals rest their significant starters. If the game mattered for Cincinnati, they'd be slight favorites.
I don't know if they'd be favored, actually. I think the better defense at home might make it a pick'em. We'll find out more next week if we win.
little rediculous i was thinking jets by 3 kinda deal but ill take it. vegas probably taking in the fact that we beat the 14-0 colts on the road without really noticing who played in the second half
I think Vegas knows who we played in the second half. And this is why the line is so much in our favor, because the same thing will happen again. That's why the line was -3.5 Indy for the last game
Eh, maybe. I still think they'd be favored by 1 or 2. Truth is, they haven't been so good recently, either. They had the close game at San Diego which was better than any of our recent games, though.
Are you suggesting Vegas didn't notice something?:lol: Vegas knows everything...and this line tells me they don't think the Bengals are going to play next week. And I'm tending to agree.
Absolutely. You never get lines this far off unless there's information about starters sitting. If there was significant doubt, the lines wouldn't be on the board. A bunch of the games don't have lines posted yet. The books are not in the habit of posting weak lines. Watch the lines close within a few points of the 9. Palmer will almost certainly be sitting, along with key defensive players.
With Odom out and now losing Maualuga today they are hurting at the LB position. Losing Maualuga is going to be on the coaches minds when they decide who is playing next week. Besides the fact they haven't looked good lately as previously mentioned.
Since NE beat Cincy heads up, if they win the early game, they have the 3 seed and cincinnatti is automatically the 4th seed. I guess the line is assuming that the pats win next weekend, and therefore Cincy rests their starters. It would be insane to risk your starters with nothing to gain. However, if they can gain a seed by winning, they might not rest their starters... as improbable as it is to have a 3rd vs 4th seed AFC Championship Game, crazier things have happened and I could see them going for the W. I guess we have to root for the Patriots...
the bolded never happened. I think what you mean is that NE holds a tiebreaker over Cincy if both teams finish with the same record.
Cincy is in a dilemma, because they will likely face the Jets in the first round of the playoffs. They will play the game as vanilla as possible, so they don't give the Jets too much to game plan for. On the other hand, the Jets have to play balls out next week.
Bengals Shutting Down Makes Sense. The Colts shutting down made no sense to me -- and its very different than the bengals. Where teams get into trouble is that if the Colts knew they would not show up for the jets -- thats 1 week of prep; so next week also -- thats 2 weeks of prep; the next week is a bye. SO in essence they are taking a month off without game week prep. The Bengals -- will be more like the LAST preseason game or even a bye. They will have this week to take off -- show up against the jets this week -- not get hurt -- and then prep the next week. Thats not all that risky.
Lord, hopefully with this upcoming win some attitudes can start to change. This is a New Jet team, with a new feel. Win or lose I've felt that way since week 1.
The Bengals have been very "meh" for the last 6 weeks. The Jets would be favored by 3 or 4 if this game had no playoff implications for either side and nobody was getting rested, just based on they've been playing better and they're at home. The Bengals last beat a good team on November 15th when they completed their back to back victories over the Steelers and Ravens. They've beaten Oakland, Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City since then and lost to San Diego and Minnesota.
As is always the case, this line is not a prediction of how the game will turn out, but rather a prediction of how bettors are willing to bet it will turn out. Obviously whoever set this line thinks that bettors believe that the Bengals will sit their starters - it makes no difference whether it actually happens or not. I think the line is also inflated because of the uncertainty associated with who will play (not just who will actually turn out to play). If I was a professional gambler I would stay away from this game, since the ultimate winner has too little to do with the quality of the teams, and too much to do with a coach's somewhat arbitrary decision. They are trying to attract money from people who are amateurs that notice a big line and find it attractive. Setting a line is about knowing some football, but it's much more about knowing the psychology of the betting public.
last night I thought that game would be a pick'em game. Its gotta mean someone is going to sit, but the line could always change.