NFL Odds – Free Falling Bengals Try To Bounce Back Against Lowly Bills

NFL odds makers know that after winning two of their first three games to open the 2010-11 season, including a 15-10 victory over the division rival Baltimore Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals have dropped six straight games to fall to the basement of the AFC North. One year after clinching the division head coach Marvin Lewis now finds himself on the hot seat, entering a must-win game against a Buffalo Bills team that is coming off its first victory of the season.

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday November 21, 2010 – 1:00 PM ET

Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Broadcast: CBS

NFL Odds: Bills +5.5, Bengals -5.5
Total: 44

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The Bills got in to the win column by taking down the Detroit Lions 14-12 last Sunday. After three straight three-point losses, including two in overtime, Buffalo finally got over the hump with a huge victory, but will need to take their game to another level to make it two in a row.

NFL Odds: What The Bills Will Have To Do To Win?

Running back Fred Jackson ran for a season-high 133 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Lions, and will be relied on heavily once again ahead of 2010 first round pick CJ Spiller who is out with a bummed hamstring. Jackson’s quickness and shifty ability will open things up for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will need to limit his mistakes in order to avoid the turnovers that have plagued the team through the first 10 weeks of the season. The Buffalo defense ranks 7th against the pass, but some of that has to do with opposing offenses electing to pound the rock against the league’s worst run defense. The Bengals are 26th overall in rushing yards, so they key for the Bills should be to prevent them from establishing any ground game.

NFL Odds: What The Bengals Will Have To Do To Win?

The Bengals turned the ball over five times against the Colts and still had a chance to win on the final drive of the game. The Cincinnati offense will need to limit those turnovers, with a big part of the onus falling on quarterback Carson Palmer, who was intercepted three times by Indianapolis. With Chad Ochocinco hauling in seven catches and 86 yards last week, it appears as though the Bengals have found a way to spread the ball around. Palmer will need to get Ocho Cinco and Terrell Owens involved early, and it wouldn’t hurt to give the running backs some touches against the league’s worst rush defense.

NFL Odds: Outlook & Pick

Turnovers pushed the Bengals to their sixth straight loss, but if they are able to turn it around by limiting their mistakes and forcing Fitzpatrick in the pocket, there is no reason to think that they won’t get back on track. Cincinnati is too talented to continue falling this way, and if they don’t beat the Bill this week there could be major changes on the horizon.

NFL Odds Pick: Bengals -5.5