Cincinnati Bengals (+3)* at Indianapolis Colts
It appears as if both beneficiaries – more likely, victims – of Sunday’s tie between the Bengals and Panthers have suffered a hit in the spreads for Week 7. Cincinnati, everyone’s darling after their 3-0 start – so much so that the Bengals have been the favorite in every game after Week 1 – has quickly flipped sides to play the role of the underdog in Indianapolis.
Why?
The Bengals have one loss – a Sunday Night Football clash with a Patriots team historically excellent following a losing effort – and their three wins have an average margin of victory of three touchdowns. How would this spread have differed if Mike Nugent‘s field goal in overtime led to a win instead of a tie?
Furthermore, how would this game look if Indianapolis ended up choking away their 24-0 against the Texans last Thursday night?
This spread is too harsh for a Cincinnati team that might be the best in the AFC and too forgiving for the Colts riding a four-game winning streak and due for a setback. The Bengals get back on track with a field goal win on the road, beating the spread.
