The Arizona Cardinals (+25000 to win the NFC title) and the Cincinnati Bengals meet in a battle between two winless squads. Clearly, both teams need something to boost their morale, and a win will go a long way in their hopes of turning their season around.
The Cardinals’ search for their first win with Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury continues. In Week 4, the Cardinals were dealt with a stinging 27-10 home loss by the Seattle Seahawks. Murray passed for 241 yards with an interception on 22-of-32 completions, while David Johnson and Chase Edmonds combined for 77 rushing yards. If the Cardinals need to get that elusive victory, they will have to cut down on their errors, particularly the unnecessary penalties that’s slowing them down on offense. They have had 14 penalties called on them over the last two games and three turnovers over that same span. The Cardinals are going to have more of that before Murray matures into, hopefully for them, as the franchise quarterback the Cardinals are envisioning him to become.Murray and the Cardinals will have a good chance of showcasing their strengths, though, against Cincinnati, which has a defense that’s been leaking all season long.
The Cardinals are 3-2 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games.
Betting on the Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)
It’s amazing that Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is still alive and able to walk after the torture he received at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense in last Monday’s 27-3 road loss. Dalton was sacked eight times for a loss of 69 yards and passed for only 171 yards with an interception on 21-of-37 completions. The Bengals are sorely missing wide receiver AJ Green, who’s reportedly still weeks away from returning from an ankle injury. That means Dalton will have to continue relying on the likes of Auden Tate, John Ross, and Tyler Boyd in the passing attack. Ross, however, could be in danger of missing the Cardinals game after leaving Week 4’s contest with a shoulder injury. His status is one to watch out as the date with Arizona nears. Boyd is the Bengals’ best weapon right now downfield, and he could have a field day against the Cardinals’ defense that ranks just 31st in the league in total defense, allowing 417.5 total yards per contest.
