Previewing Sunday’s Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins NFL Week 16 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets
The Cincinnati Bengals (1-13) face the Miami Dolphins (3-11) in a game someone has to win but likely few will watch when they meet at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.
Cincinnati at Miami: Week 16 preview, betting trends and notes
Looking to place a bet on this game or others? Sign up at BetMGM!
Miami has had a ratty record, but the Dolphins are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games after starting off the season 0-4.
Miami is 7-1 against the moneyline in its last eight games as a home favorite.
Nobody has scored fewer points this season than Bengals’ 211 points – an average of just 15 a game.
Miami has hit the over in four of its last five games.
Cincinnati is 0-7 against the moneyline on the road this season, but 4-3 ATS.
Last week, the two teams allowed a combined 70 points in losses – 34 by the Bengals and 36 by the Dolphins.
Cincinnati at Miami: Key injuries
Three Bengals haven’t practiced yet this week – the usual suspect A.J. Green (ankle), who has been on the active roster for all 15 games; G John Miller (concussion); and CB Darius Phillips (illness). RB Joe Mixon was added to the injury report Thursday with a calf injury, but did practice. No Dolphins missed practice Thursday and only three – WR Allen Hurns (ankle/knee), DT Zach Sieler (ankle) and K Jason Sanders (illness) – were limited.
Cincinnati at Miami: Odds, betting lines and prediction
This is a bet correction for action coming in to force a pick-’em scenario. You almost never see an NFL moneyline at -110 for both teams. Nobody who thinks Miami will win will take that bet when they can get even money on the point line. If you think the Bengals are going to win, the price of getting 1.5 isn’t worth it – unless you somehow think the game could go to overtime and end in a tie.
The same rule of thumb applies. If you’re going to give away 1.5 points (Miami), you’re at even money (100). Get 1.5 (Cincy) and your price goes to -121 from -110. The only people who should be on this are those backing Miami.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Dolphins to win outright would return a profit of $9.09, while the same wager on the Dolphins to win by more than 1 point would return $10. A $10 wager on the Bengals to win outright would return $9.09, while the same wager on them to win or lose by 1 point would return $8.26.
This is the most intriguing bet of them all. These teams have won four games out of 28 played because they both have iffy offenses and bad defenses. But when a veteran QB gets up against a bad defense, shootouts can take place. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andy Dalton have nothing left to lose. Let the ball fly! The bet is the under (-121), but we’re taking OVER 46.5 (100) and running with it.
Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Andy Dalton’s hurting more than the on-field results.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton isn’t doing himself or the team many favors these days.
Since returning to the starting lineup, Dalton has won a game in three attempts, yes, but he’s also thrown two touchdowns against five interceptions and hasn’t completed better than 60 percent of his passes in each, all while the offensive line play in front of him improves.
This was especially discouraging in both losses because of pick-sixes. In a 27-19 loss to Clevland, Dalton threw a questionable ball and gifted the opposition seven points. In the loss to New England, Dalton didn’t just throw four interceptions, one of them went back for a score.
And while Zac Taylor tried to defend Dalton under the guise of being aggressive (what else would he say?), at least two of the picks were woefully off-target and easy for the defense.
Dalton is, unfortunately, showing 31 other teams something important — how he plays without A.J. Green.
This is a rather huge problem. The Bengals are clearly headed toward the top pick in the draft and Joe Burrow. In a perfect world, they then dangle Dalton on the trade market to see what they can get in return. Dalton had wanted a trade before the deadline after he got benched — and presumably, a starting quarterback still gets a decent return.
Duron Harmon on Andy Dalton targeting Stephon Gilmore, who had 2 INTs and 4 PDs"
"I was on the sideline and was like, ‘does he know you’re an All-Pro corner, best cornerback in the league?’ I guess not."
Before this disaster of a stretch, Dalton might’ve fetched a good price on the open market, with other teams simply believing a bad environment derailed his numbers. Teams make mistakes all the time in this league, and chief among those is thinking their environment can fix a player.
Bengals fans should know better than most how silly NFL teams can get about quarterbacks — remember the haul in the Carson Palmer trade? Even if one argues that had special circumstances, this is a league where teams are still putting up millions to roster Joe Flaccos and Ryan Fitzpatricks.
It would be unfortunate to settle for a compensatory pick for Dalton’s eventual departure. But it increasingly looks as if that’s where things are headed as he continues to tank value as this lost season concludes.
For a team with as many needs as the Bengals, it’d be nice to draft a top quarterback and get a nice immediate pick back as a way to assist other spots on the depth chart. But when things go this awry, nothing really goes according to plan.
The NFC East doesn’t have a team with a winning record, but it’s the most compelling division in Touchdown Wire’s weekly Power Rankings.
The NFC East is the worst division in the NFL. It also is the most entertaining.
Even though no team in the division currently has a winning record, the playoff scenario got more intriguing in Week 15. Plus, there’s all sorts of speculation about which head coaches might be fired, and a New York icon may have played his last game for the Giants.
The Cowboys finally played the way a team with that much talent is supposed to play, improving to 7-7 with a 44-21 shellacking of the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles also climbed to 7-7 after a 37-27 win over the Redskins. Dallas plays at Philadelphia in Week 16, and the Cowboys can clinch the division title with a victory.
Even though the Cowboys are in the playoff race, coach Jason Garrett’s job doesn’t appear safe. Rumors are swirling that owner Jerry Jones is considering Urban Meyer as a replacement for Garrett.
Things got even more interesting when Meyer showed up at the Redskins game on Sunday. Can you imagine a bidding war for Meyer between Jones and Washington owner Daniel Snyder?
New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur also could be on the hot seat, even though he got a win against Miami. But Shurmur wasn’t the Giants’ most interesting story of Sunday. Instead, that was Eli Manning. The veteran quarterback played what might have been his final game for the Giants, while filling in for injured rookie Daniel Jones.
Here’s where the NFC East teams — and the rest of the league — stand in Touchdown Wire’s Week 16 Power Rankings.
32. Cincinnati Bengals
David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
(1-13. Last week: 32)
A 34-14 loss to New England was expected, but the Bengals actually kept the game close until the third quarter. But in the end, they lost to one of the league’s best teams. More importantly, the Bengals remained on pace to earn the top pick in next year’s draft. That means it appears as if newly crowned Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow will wear a Cincinnati uniform next season. After briefly benching veteran starter Andy Dalton in favor of rookie Ryan Finley, the Bengals have been sticking with Dalton. That’s somewhat inexplicable, because Dalton threw four interceptions Sunday. Dalton has no future with the Bengals. But he’s doing his part to make sure Cincinnati gets Burrow.
31. Washington Redskins
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
(3-11. Last week: 30)
The Redskins lost to Philadelphia, 37-27. The game meant nothing to the Redskins aside from impacting their draft position. The real story here is that Urban Meyer was spotted in a luxury box at FedEx Field with injured Washington quarterback Alex Smith, who played for Meyer at the University of Utah. Let the speculation grow that Meyer, who won national championships at Florida and Ohio State will be the next coach of the Redskins. Of course, current Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins also played for Meyer, at Ohio State. Meyer’s sighting could foreshadow an off-field showdown in the NFC East. There is widespread speculation that Dallas owner Jerry Jones covets Meyer. Given the personalities and egos of Jones and Washington owner Daniel Snyder, there could be a bidding war for Meyer.
30. Miami Dolphins
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
(3-11. Last week: 29)
The only real highlight of Sunday’s 36-20 loss to the Giants was that it likely was Eli Manning’s final start for New York. Injured rookie Daniel Jones is expected back in the lineup next week, and Manning probably will retire or play for another franchise next year. But there were a few bright spots for the Dolphins, too. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and receiver DeVante Parker hooked up on two touchdown passes. More significantly, the loss keeps the Dolphins in the race for an early draft pick, where they can seek a long-term answer at quarterback — because there is no long-term future with Fitzpatrick or backup Josh Rosen.
29. Detroit Lions
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
(3-10-1. Last week: 28)
The Lions lost 37-17 to Tampa Bay on Sunday. That means they now have suffered 10 losses in consecutive years with Matt Patricia as coach. They also ran their losing streak to seven games. Does all that mean Patricia is on the hot seat? There are two ways to look at it. First, Patricia’s record in Detroit (9-20-1) has been unimpressive, and coaches have been fired for less. The fan base probably wouldn’t be too upset if Patricia gets canned. But on the flip side, Patricia still has his team playing hard even though the Lions are down to third-string quarterback David Blough and are dealing with a rash of injuries. For the sake of continuity, I would give Patricia one more season.
28. New York Giants
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
(3-11. Last week: 31)
A 36-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins may not seem like much. But there was a big storyline for the history of New York’s franchise. This almost certainly was the last start of Eli Manning’s tenure with the Giants, as he threw for two touchdowns and Saquon Barkley ran for two more. Daniel Jones is New York’s quarterback of the future. Jones has been out with an ankle injury, and that’s the only reason Manning has been back as the starter. But Jones returned to practice on a limited basis last week and is expected to return as the starter for the final two games of the season. This win was important for Manning, who could decide to retire after the season. It got his career record back to .500. Manning is a borderline Hall of Famer. A .500 record sounds a lot better than a losing record to Hall of Fame voters.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
(5-9. Last week: 27)
The Jaguars went to California and beat the Raiders in their final game in Oakland before moving to Las Vegas next season. But the win doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of things. Prior to the game, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that significant changes will be made in Jacksonville in the offseason. That could mean coach Doug Marrone, executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell are on the hot seat. Any or all of them could be gone after two disappointing seasons since a berth in the AFC Championship Game. The other big question in Jacksonville is who will be the quarterback next season. Rookie Gardner Minshew has outplayed the high-priced Nick Foles. Minshew has earned the right to at least compete with Foles in the preseason.
26. New York Jets
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
(5-9. Last week: 24)
Thursday night’s game against Baltimore went exactly as expected. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the likely NFL Most Valuable Player, threw for 212 yards and five touchdowns and also ran for 86 yards. That’s no surprise, since Jackson has put up huge numbers all season. What is surprising, and concerning, is that the Jets suddenly seem to be a team in turmoil. During Sunday’s game, coach Adam Gase and quarterback Sam Darnold had a heated exchange on the sideline. They downplayed the incident after the game, but it still wasn’t a good sign. Running back Le’Veon Bell, the source of controversy in Week 14 when he supposedly missed the game with the flu but was seen bowling the previous night, returned and rushed for a season-high 87 yards. Maybe Bell should go bowling more often. The Jets also clinched their fourth straight losing season. That’s their longest such streak in the Super Bowl era.
25. Carolina Panthers
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
(5-9. Last week 23)
On the surface, a 30-24 loss to Seattle isn’t embarrassing. The Seahawks are one of the best teams in the NFL, after all. But this one was embarrassing when you look at it from another perspective. The Panthers now are 2-5 at home this season. That’s embarrassing because the Panthers have good fans, and Bank of America Stadium has given the team a home-field advantage in the past. But the Panthers have lost six games in a row, and their future has more questions than answers. Will Kyle Allen, who threw three interceptions Sunday, be the starter next year? Or will it be longtime franchise quarterback Cam Newton? The bigger question is who will be the coach next year? Don’t be surprised if Urban Meyer’s name surfaces. Carolina owner David Tepper has the funds and the desire to compete with the big boys — Dallas’ Jerry Jones and Washington’s Daniel Snyder — for Meyer’s services.
Zac Taylor had some interesting comments after the loss to the Patriots.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor didn’t mince words when addressing Andy Dalton’s four-interception game during the loss to the New England Patriots.
In fact, Taylor hit the postgame presser noting his wideouts simply got beat while his quarterback took risks:
“Three of them were against man-to-man coverage, one-on-ones. We got bullied… we did. Guys could go compete, knock the ball down, go get a one-on-one. I think Gilmore (Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore) had what, two of them? Ok. So their guys went and competed. They have a tough secondary…The quarterback’s going take all of the blame for it, when in reality he taking some one-on-one opportunities that we had to take to be in that game, and go make some plays. You’re counting on some guys to get some separation and go compete, and they got the better of us on a lot of those.”
It’s an interesting point from Taylor. On one hand, the quarterback is always going to get the brunt of the blame. On the other, some of the throws weren’t the best, target-wise.
And like it or not, Tyler Boyd answered questions about his one-on-ones after the game and didn’t hold back either, especially on the misplaced ball that went for a pick-six:
“Yeah, he (had) outside leverage. He had perfect leverage on an out-route. We were running an out-route to the field with man coverage — (having) outside leverage, think it’s going to be a pick?”
Agree to disagree, right? The Bengals have won a single game and remain in the hunt for the top overall pick in 2020. Quarterback seems to be the way of things.
At this point, the Bengals clearly want Dalton being aggressive in the pursuit of wins. He is, though only one win has happened to date since his re-entry as starter.
It’s probably Gilmore’s most impressive play of the season.
Stephon Gilmore continued to make a Pro Bowl campaign during the New England Patriots’ Week 15 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. In fact, Gilmore continued his case as the best cornerback in the NFL.
During the third quarter on Sunday, Gilmore managed an absurd one-handed interception on quarterback Andy Dalton. On a third-and-6, Dalton fired for receiver Tyler Boyd, but Gilmore was draped all over his mark. The pass was off-target, and Gilmore managed to pull in the ball with one hand for the interception, his fifth of the season.
New England’s offense made the Bengals pay for the mistake. Tom Brady linked up with N’Keal Harry for a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
This could be the week the Patriots turn things around.
In the famous words of Bill Belichick, “We are onto Cincinnati.”
Those words hold true this week as the New England Patriots travel to Cincinnati to take on a 1-12 Bengals squad after dropping a heartbreaking Week 14 contest vs. Kansas City last week. Add in the Spygate 2.0 controversy and there will be a lot of fuel behind the Patriots when they face off against their least feared opponent.
Here are six things New England fans should know about Cincinnati before Sunday’s game kicks off at Paul Brown Stadium:
1. Andy Dalton has regressed mightily.
It wasn’t too long ago when Andy Dalton was among the top quarterbacks in the AFC. The nine-year quarterback from TCU helped lead the Bengals to the playoffs in his first five seasons. Dalton’s career has gone downhill ever since and was benched in favor of backup Ryan Finley for a three-game stretch earlier this season.
Cincinnati’s experiment with Finley didn’t last long as Dalton is back under center. Starting 10 games this year, Dalton has thrown an erratic 60.0 percent completion rate with a 10-to-9 touchdown-interception ratio.
After facing the likes of Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, and Patrick Mahomes, it should be smooth sailing for the Patriots defense this week.
2. Joe Mixon has name recognition but has had an off year.
For New England fans who are fantasy football enthusiasts, Cincinnati starting running back Joe Mixon has the most name recognition on the Bengals offense. Mixon was being drafted within the first two rounds of fantasy drafts during the preseason, but he has failed to live up to expectations.
Mixon had a big 2018 season, recording 1,168 rushing yards at a 4.9 yard-per-carry rate with eight rushing scores. The third-year running back has seen a drop in production in all three areas this season: 768 rushing yards, 3.8 yards per carry and just three touchdowns.
3. Watch out for Tyler Boyd.
Wide receiver Tyler Boyd has had the most productive season compared to the rest of Cincinnati’s offensive playmakers. Boyd has made the most out of the Bengals’ quarterback woes. Given how dreadful Dalton and Finley have been, Boyd’s 833 receiving yards in 12 games is quite impressive. The fourth-year wide receiver has hauled in three touchdowns.
4. There’s not much outside of Boyd and Mixon.
On paper, Cincinnati could have a pretty explosive offense. Injuries, however, have depleted what could be a much better and more successful offense.
All-pro receiver AJ Green has yet to appear this season after suffering an ankle injury in the middle of last season. Third-year receiver John Ross had a fast start to 2019, accumulating over 100 yards in Weeks 1 and 2. Receiver Auden Tate is also on injured reserve.
Outside of Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon, there isn’t much left to the Bengals offense. New England will look to slow down receiver Alex Ericson, tight end Tyler Eifert, and running back Giovani Bernard.
5. Could this be the week Tom Brady and the Patriots offense finally figure things out?
The past two weeks New England has gone up against beatable defenses in Houston and Kansas City. However, the Patriots offense made Houston and KC look like they had top-tier defenses.
Cincinnati’s defense is even worse, being ranked no. 31 in total defensive production while allowing 399.5 yards per game to opposing offenses. The Bengals give up an average 242.8 passing yards (19th in the league) and a league-worst 156.7 rushing yards.
Maybe, just maybe, this will finally be the week that Tom Brady, Sony Michel and the rest of the New England offense turn things around.
6. It’s been a while since the Patriots traveled to Cincinnati.
The last time New England visited Paul Brown Stadium was in 2013 when the Bengals defeated the Patriots, 13-6, in a Week 5 matchup.
Brady threw for just 197 yards and no touchdowns while being sacked four times. That was when Cincinnati boasted an elite defense.
A lot has changed since then, so this matchup may be coming at the right time for a struggling New England squad.
Previewing Sunday’s Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Week 14 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets
[jwplayer zJQrqHUv]
The Cincinnati Bengals (1-11) and Cleveland Browns (5-7) play the latest installment of their ‘Battle of Ohio’ rivalry Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at FirstEnergy Stadium. We analyze the Bengals-Browns sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 14 matchup.
Bengals at Browns: Week 14 preview, betting trends and notes
Get some action on the game at BetMGM by placing a sports bet!
The Bengals enter on a high after their first victory of the season in Week 13, while the Browns suffered a 20-13 loss against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Cincinnati is 8-2 ATS across their past 10 road games, and they’re 17-8 ATS in the past 25 games against AFC opponents.
The Browns are 7-3 ATS across their past 10 games inside the AFC North, but they’re just 11-23-1 ATS in the past 35 at home.
The Under is 4-1-1 in Cincinnati’s past six games against the AFC North, while going 12-3-2 in the past 17 games overall.
The Under is 18-8-1 in the past 27 at home for the Browns, while going 15-5-1 in the past 21 at FirstEnergy Stadium against teams with a losing road mark.
Bengals at Browns: Key injuries
Bengals: WR John Ross (collarbone) and LB Nick Vigil (ankle) are expected to play, while DE Sam Hubbard (knee) and TE Drew Sample (ankle) are out.
Browns: TE David Njoku (wrist) and DE Olivier Vernon (knee) are expected to be ready, while QB Baker Mayfield (hand) will also be fine. WR Odell Beckham Jr. (groin) is expected to be ready, too.
Bengals at Browns: Odds, betting lines and prediction
The Browns (-334) are just too expensive, and they haven’t been consistent enough this season to lay more than three times your money. The Bengals (+260), on the other hand, have struggled all season obviously, but they looked better with QB Andy Dalton regaining his starting spot against the Jets. They’re no pushover, at least for an inconsistent Browns side.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the moneyline returns a $2.99 profit with a Cleveland victory.
The BENGALS (+7.5, -112) catching seven and a hook is the key. Whenever you’re betting the underdog, those hooks can come in handy. The Browns (-7.5, -115) have a 2-3-1 ATS mark across their six games so far this season.
UNDER41.5 (-110) is a nice small-unit bet, although this one will be close in the fourth quarter. Don’t go crazy, but if you’re looking for a nice parlay, the Bengals and the points with the Under is a decent pairing.
Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. Looking for more sports betting picks and tips? Visit SportsbookWire.com.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Check out where the Jets stand in the latest edition of the USA TODAY NFL power rankings.
After three consecutive wins, the Jets fell back to earth by handing the Cinncinati Bengals their first win of the season on Sunday. Now 4-8 on the season, the Jets moved down two spots in the latest edition of USA TODAY’s NFL power rankings.
New York moved down from No. 19 to No. 21 after losing to the Bengals, 22-6. The Jets could not string four wins together after coming out flat in a lackluster post-Thanksgiving loss.
With Sunday’s loss, the Jets became the first team in NFL history to lose twice in one season to teams with 0-7 records or worse.
The Jets could not stop a red-hot Andy Dalton, who was getting the ball out quickly and taking advantage of the Jets’ deficiencies in the secondary in his return as Cincinnatti’s starting quarterback.
Jamal Adams, Arthur Maulet and Brian Poole were all injured or playing banged up as Dalton picked apart a team masquerading as contenders.
The Jets’ sluggish effort can be summarized by one statistic: the team failed to make one offensive trip to the red zone.
As for the rest of the AFC East, the 9-3 Bills moved up two spots to No. 9 after knocking off the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The Dolphins came away victorious after upsetting the Eagles and moved up two spots to No. 27. The Patriots fell out of the top five and landed at No. 6 following a Sunday night loss to the Texans in Houston.
Rounding out the top five are the Ravens at No. 1, the Saints at No. 2, the Seahawks at No. 3, the 49ers at No. 4 and the Texans at No. 5.
Baltimore’s win against San Francisco was a Super Bowl preview and what else we learned from Week 13.
Here are nine things we learned from Sunday’s games of Week 13 in the NFL season.
9. The Bengals messed up
David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Cincinnati brought back veteran quarterback Andy Dalton after he was benched for three games in favor of rookie Ryan Finley. The Bengals got a win against the Jets, their first of the season. Sounds like a good move, right? No. It was totally wrong. Dalton won’t be with the Bengals next year. They need to take a long look at Finley. But they paused that. Worse, they hurt their chances of getting the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft, where they can get a sure-fire quarterback.
