At Sports Unbiased we believe in information. We also believe there is no such thing as too much information. With that in mind, we give you at least six collaborative articles per week that will prepare you for the next weeks NFL matchups. The first knowledge grab of the week are the weekly NFL writers picks which is up early each week. Then you can find an in-depth analysis of the week’s marquee matchups in a series we call the 2013 NFL Weekly In-Depth Analysis which is now a series of five articles that cover the marquee games of the week. These articles will prepare you in time for your office pools or any other venture you might consider.
As part of the NFL Weekly In-Depth Analysis series we present the clash between the New England Patriots and the Cincinnati Bengals. This is a 1:00 PM EST game that will be played at Paul Brown Stadium as the 2-2 Cincinnati Bengals host the 4-0 New England Patriots. Will Tom Brady be able to go into Bengals territory and win one on the road? Will Andy Dalton and A.J. Green be able to hold serve at home? Here are the Vegas odds for the game and what the Sports Unbiased In-Depth Analysis Team believes will occur this Sunday. This week Chris Pagliuca, John Yeomans, “Coach” Mike Fabber and Mike Santangelo provide commentary on the game.
Vegas Odds: Bengals -1 45 u
Chris’ Pick: If this game was last week I may have chosen the Bengals to win this game. However, the injury ridden Patriots were able to pull off a 23-20 win against a tough Falcon team. Meanwhile, the Bengals who looked like the team that would take the AFC North crown would be handily beat by the Cleveland Browns 17-6. Although Brady has been without Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola, he has done a fantastic job making everyone around him better. Take undrafted, free-agent Kenbrell Thompkins who had never played a down in the NFL, he already has 257 yards and three touchdowns on 15 receptions on the season. This could go either way and be a close game, but if the Bengals who played like they did last week, it won’t be. Final Score: Patriots 24 Bengals 17
John’s Pick: So much for the Patriots offense having issues as Tom Brady gelled even more with receivers Julian Edelman and Kenbrell Thompkins in week four ( 13 Rec, 245 Rec Yards, and one touchdown combined against the Falcons), and still has Amendola and Gronkowski joining the passing game sometime this season ( maybe this week?). For those of you that don’t remember before the high scoring offense that everybody is used to from the Patriots, they won their three Super Bowls with a balanced offense and a tough and rugged defense, very similar to how they are playing now (11th total offense, defense has only allowed 52 points in four games). As for their opponent, the Bengals are playing at home which is good thing (2-0 record) because on road is another story (0-2 record). Andy Dalton is having a wax and wane kind of season, which doesn’t look promising with the Patriots secondary keeping opposing quarterbacks to a 70.1 QB Rating. Plain in simple the “Bill and Tom” show is once again is letting everyone know no matter what they will find a way to win. I see New England winning, with their new improved secondary getting the best of Dalton, as Brady and his offense put just enough points on the board using a great mixture of pass and run. Final Score: Patriots 20 Bengals 17
Mike’s Pick: The Patriots have started off the season a surprising 4-0. I say surprising because even though they still have Tom Brady, they’ve been making do with a lineup of receivers almost no one has heard of. With Wes Welker moving to Denver and Rob Gronkowski being hurt (and the obvious removal of Aaron Hernandez from the roster), none of Brady’s top targets have suited up in a Patriots uniform so far this year. And yet, they keep on winning. On the other side, despite the presence of one of the best WR’s in the country (A.J. Green), the Bengals have been unable to really find an offensive rhythm. I don’t really think much has changed in either of those instances this week. Gronkowski will probably not suit up, but the Patriots defense is good enough to be sure that the Bengals don’t find a rhythm on their watch. Final Score: Patriots 27 Bengals 17
Coach’s Pick: This could be a playoff game down the road this year but both teams are so banged up. The secondary for the Bengals is in shambles going against one of the best passers of all time. New England lost Vince Wilfork who when playing makes them a top 5 run stopping defense but when he is not they finish in the bottom third. So a battle of ground to air and they might be in Cincy but Brady doesn’t mind the road. Final Score: Patriots 24 Bengals 16
Wrap-up
There it is, Sports Unbiased has broken down a marquee game in week five of the NFL season. We have given you analysis, we have given you the odds and we even gave you the possible final score. Trust all the writers, trust a couple of the writers or just trust one. Find you favorites and come back for other editions of the Sports Unbiased marquee matchups. Now go forth and win your office pool, enjoy the game even have some fun on the morning line. Good luck and happy picking. See you next week.
Note: All odds courtesy of Vegas Insider Consensus
Leave a Reply