2013 NFL Week 1 Bengals vs. Bears Picks & Predictions
By Anthony Rome
CHICAGO, IL (The Spread) – The Bears are slight home favorites this Sunday versus the Bengals. Will Cincinnati cover as an underdog?
NFL ODDS: According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Bears are 3-point favorites versus the Bengals, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 41.5 points.
NFL LINEMOVEMENT: The Bears opened as a 4-point favorite but the spread has been bet down to 3 at most online and Vegas sports books. As for the total, it opened at 45 and has been bet down to 42 or 41.5, depending on what book you view.
NFL PUBLIC BETTING: Of the bets that have been placed on this game, 70% currently favor Cincinnati. This information is subject to change, however, so make sure to click on the link for the latest public betting figures.
NFL FREE PICK: Take Cincinnati. According to latest NFL trends, the Bengals are 4-1 against the spread in their last five road games, 7-2 against the number in their last nine games overall, and 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games in September. On the other side, the Bears are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games overall and 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.
The Bears are largely an unknown right now as they transition to a new era under head coach Marc Trestman. Will Trestman turn Jay Cutler into a consistent winner or will the quarterback continue to struggle with his decision-making under pressure? Will Brandon Marshall’s hip be a season-long problem or will he flourish like he did a year ago? Will the defense maintain or suffer without Lovie Smith’s guidance?
On the other side, the Bengals have a quarterback in Andy Dalton that doesn’t make many big mistakes, a receiver in A.J. Green that is a flat out playmaker, and one of the more underrated defenses in the NFL. The Bears usually play well at home, but the Bengals are arguably the better team and could win outright.
2013 NFL FREE PICK: CINCINNATI BENGALS +3