Dallas Cowboys haters reveled last week, when the team blew a big lead in the fourth quarter to succumb to the San Francisco 49ers. Will the Cowboys, who have odds of +325 to win the NFC East, recover and get to 1-1 in the preseason when they take on Cincy? The Bengals looked fine in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, but a preseason contest could only tell as much about a team’s readiness.
The Bengals got a nice win in their preseason opener, downing the Chicago Bears at home last week to the tune of a 30-27 score. One takeaway from that game is that Cincy’s offense still gives the impression that it’s going to be just fine in the coming regular season. The Bengals racked up a total of 447 total yards against the Bears, with the team’s air attack getting down to work. Andy Dalton is always going to be the team’s starter under center, but backup quarterbacks Jeff Driskel made the competition for the No. 2 spot a bit more interesting by going 10-for-15 for 140 yards and a touchdown, while veteran Matt Barkley passed for only 64 yards on 6-of-14 completions. Meanwhile, wide receiver John Ross, who barely played last season due to injuries and other issues, generally impressed against the Bears, catching a pass for 20 yards. Tyler Boyd and Josh Malone are also players to watch downfield for Cincy against Dallas.
The Bengals are 2-0 ATS in their last two preseason games.
Betting on the Dallas Cowboys (-3)
Sure, it’s just a preseason game, but there is never a good time to choke in the NFL. That’s exactly that the Cowboys suffered last week, when it got outscored 14-0 in the fourth quarter of their preseason opener’s 24-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on the road. They can’t relax at any point of their next game against the Bengals, considering how fantastic Cincy’s offense looked last week against Chicago. The Cowboys’ defense should get a boost this time around, though, as it’s been reported that star linebacker Sean Lee is expected to appear in this coming Saturday’s contest. He was in uniform, but did not play against the Niners. Dallas likes to see how its passing game will shape up, as the Cowboys want their receivers to take away some of the focus that will be on running back Ezekiel Elliott come the regular season. Against San Francisco, rookie Michael Gallup snared down a 30-yard reception, while Tavon Austin had 27 yards on two catches.
The Cowboys are 3-2-1 ATS in their last five preseason games at home.
