NFL Week 3 Highlight Denver At Cincinnati Predictions

Posted by Eric Williams on Friday,September 23, 2016 9:27, EDT in

The Cincinnati Bengals will look to bounce back from their hard-fought loss in Week 3 when they host an unbeaten Denver Broncos team that is winning games the exact same way they did a year ago en route to last season’s Super Bowl title.

Now, let’s find out if the Bengals have what it takes to either win outright or cover the NFL betting odds as a slight home favorite.

A Closer Look At The NFL Week 3 Highlight Broncos At Bengals Predictions

When: Sunday, September 25, 2016 at 1:00 PM ET
Where: Paul Brown Stadium
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Network
NFL Odds: Cincinnati Bengals -3 / Over/Under: 41

 

 

Bet The Denver Broncos at +3 Because…

The Denver Broncos have a stupendous defense and know how to win close games. Denver is coming off a convincing 34-20 win over Indianapolis in Week 2 that saw quarterback Trevor Siemian complete 22 of 33 passes for 266 yards with one interception while running back C.J. Andersen rushed 20 times for 74 yards and one score.

Defensively, the Broncos limited the Colts to just 83 rushing yards and 170 passing yards while forcing two turnovers. For the season, Siemian is completing 67.8 percent of his passes for 444 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Denver is limiting its opponents to just 20 points and 293 yards per game. Safety T.J. Ward leads the Broncos with 13 tackles while Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller has four sacks and Aqib Talib, one interception.

Bet The Cincinnati Bengals at -3 Because…

The Bengals are a legitimate contender, have plenty of motivation and are playing at home. Cincinnati is coming off a hard-fought 24-16 road loss against Pittsburgh in Week 2 that saw Andy Dalton complete 31 of 54 passes for 366 yards and one touchdown, but the rushing attack limited to a paltry 46 rushing yards and 2.6 yard-per-carry average. The Bengals allowed Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to throw three touchdown passes though they did pick off the Steelers’ veteran twice in the loss.

For the season, Dalton is completing 64.3 percent of his passes for 732 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Dalton has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 13 of his last 15 games. Defensively, Cincinnati is allowing 23 points and 357 yards per game while veteran linebacker Karlos Dansby leads the team with 21 tackles.

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

For me, the Cincinnati Bengals are the easy pick to hand the Denver Broncos their first loss of the season. I know the Bengals are an uninspiring 1-3-1 ATS in their last five home games, but Cincinnati is also 13-4-2 ATS in their last 19 games overall and 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings against the Broncos.

More importantly, Cincinnati is a very well-balanced team whose defense is comparable to Denver’s and whose offense is a bit more explosive. After suffering a tough loss against the Steelers last weekend, I like the Bengals to get the win and narrow ATS cover in this matchup against the defending Super Bowl champs. Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian will also be making his first career road start in this contest, so he could struggle away from the cozy confines of Mile High Stadium. The Bengals win and narrowly cover the NFL betting line!

My Pick: Cincinnati 24 Denver 17