Cincinnati Bengals (-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We hate to do it, but we have to take the bait. The horrendous Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fresh off a near victory in Chicago, come home to host a Cincinnati Bengals team that appears to have found its winning ways again. The spread is so small that Cincinnati is begging to be picked, and for once, we agree.
At this point in the season, upsets will continue to happen as frequently as ever, but the losers are the ones most likely to drop out of a playoff race. With three consecutive playoff appearances, including a division title last season, the Bengals have the recent experience to rise to the occasion when needed. We enter the game with more trepidation than we would like, but the Bengals and Steelers are the two AFC North teams playing opponents with losing records. As such, neither can afford a loss.
Cincinnati wins by six and narrowly covers the dangerously small spread.
