Cincinnati Bengals (+1500) to win AFC
Looking ahead to the upcoming 2010-2011 NFL season, a lot still has to be determined considering we are still about a month away from the Draft. That doesn’t mean it is too early to look at future odds, trying the find that extra value that lies on some teams this early in the process. One of the teams that fit this scenario is the Cincinnati Bengals, who are currently listed at +1500 to win the AFC.
Cincinnati is the defending AFC North division champions, going 6-0 SU against division rivals last season, and yet two of those rivals, Pittsburgh (+500) and Baltimore (+800) are listed above the Bengals to win the AFC. It is unlikely that the Bengals will sweep their division again, but another division crown is definitely a possibility, but once you are one of those six teams in the playoff picture anything can happen.
Yes, Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh and will always get recognition from the masses of bettors out there, but they struggled this past season, and their window of success is closing with a few of their key players getting a bit long in the tooth. They didn’t even make the post-season this year, and are still favoured over two of their rivals; no value at all in taking them.
Baltimore has been solid the past two seasons, and QB Joe Flacco is really proving that he can perform at the pro level. Combine that with their always stout running game, and the off-season signing of WR Anquan Boldin they are primed to make another deep run through the playoffs. At +800, the value just isn’t there.
So that brings us back to Cincinnati, who in 09-10 flipped the script on the Bengals of old and actually played some defence, registering a top 10 defence under the guidance of D-coordinator Mike Zimmer. They also get a couple of key playmakers on that D-line like Antwan Odom who was tearing up the league with sacks before he was lost for the season with an injury. Their defence can play with anyone on any day, and how does that saying go? Defence wins championships.
The knock on Cincinnati is that their passing game was 26th overall this past season, failing to stretch the field and force teams to play them deep. That was likely solved with the signing of WR Antonio Bryant a great compliment for #85 on the other side to work his magic. QB Carson Palmer is one of the best in the game and with his new weapon; (along with a new TE from the draft likely) the Bengals could be airing it out all day like they have done in recent years. RB Cedric Benson will continue to be solid in the running game, so the Bengals could end up having one of the best balanced attacks in the league.
At +1500 there is quite a lot of value in taking a defending division champion here, and given that Pittsburgh and Baltimore are listed ahead of them, there will be value on taking the Bengals to win the AFC North once those odds come out later in the year.
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