NFL Betting News – Bengals Get More Dangerous, Make Great Addition by Adding Owens

Love him or loathe him, there’s no denying that outspoken veteran wide receiver Terrell Owens has been one of the game’s best receivers over the course of what has been a highly-controversial 14-year career.

Having said that, I am going on record to say that I genuinely believe Owens, even at this late juncture in his career, is still better than 90 percent of the wide receivers in the NFL and can still contribute to a team’s success in a big way.

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Having said that NFL betting buffs, I genuinely believe the Cincinnati Bengals just pulled off one of the best offseason additions of any team in the league – and in my expert estimation – the transaction now dramatically changes the chances of the Bengals retaining the surprise AFC North title it won last season.

NFC North Division Odds

Ravens -115
Steelers +210
Bengals +300
Browns +1500

That’s right pro football gamblers, the addition of Owens, who signed a two-year deal with Cincinnati on Tuesday, not only increases the Bengals’ chances to win the AFC North, but to win the AFC championship crown outright.

Last season, the Bengals fielded one of the best defenses in all of football, ranking in the top seven in every major statistical category, but were an absolutely one-dimensional team offensively that ranked ninth in rushing thanks to a fine season from Cedric Benson, but just 26th in passing as head coach Marvin Lewis seemed to play it far too close to the vest on offense last season.

The addition of Owens now gives the Bengals two competent veteran wideouts that will make life a lot tougher for opposing defensive backs, while simultaneously loosening things up at the line of scrimmage for Benson as Cincy’s opponents guard against the deep ball more.

The 36-year-old Owens caught 55 balls for 829 yards and five touchdowns last season while playing for a Buffalo Bills team that could best be described as ‘inept’ most times out. T.O.  tied with three other receivers to rank 48th in balls caught but showed he still has plenty of big-play capability by hauling in a 98-yard TD pass.

Owens also averaged a solid 15.5 yards per catch last season (tied for 51st) to record a better yards-per-catch average than Carolina’s Steve Smith, Detroit’s Calvin Johnson and Atlanta’s Roddy White.

Now, you can call me crazy if you like, but I say any receiver that can outperform any one of the aforementioned trio in any receiving category, has clearly ‘got game’ and I fully believe Owens still does.

The best news for the Bengals is that the controversial Owens has seemed to mellow quite a bit with age the past few seasons, although you’d never know it they way some NFL owners have blackballed the Hall of Fame candidate.

Not once did Owens cause a problem for the Bills last season, n or did he create any problems in his last season with the Dallas Cowboys after ‘Raising Cain’ during his first two seasons with the ‘Boys.

The good news for Owens is that the Bengals are a perfect fit for the flashy pass-catcher and genuinely wants him on board to help the franchise take another step toward winning the first Super Bowl title in franchise history.

"He and Chad are going to do some great things with Carson," said Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for both receivers, on Tuesday. "Carson Palmer had a lot to do with this deal coming together."

Even Bengals owner Mike Brown went along with the signing of Owens after offering second chances to Chris Henry, Benson, Larry Johnson and Matt Jones in the past two seasons alone.

"Yes, people can make mistakes," Brown said at the team’s preseason luncheon on Monday. "It doesn’t mean that they go on the rest of their lives making mistakes. They can get their ship pointed in the right direction. This is a 36-year-old man. He’s been through a lot. He’s proven as a player and as a person."

The addition of Owens now catapults the Bengals past the Pittsburgh Steelers at the very least (and possibly Baltimore too) in the race for first place in the AFC North – and with Cincinnati offering a fantastic +300 return for a team with such a legitimate shot at retaining its division title, Cincy now looks like a ‘must-bet’ as a NFL Futures Odds divisional selection at the very least.