The sportsbook NFL odds are not music to the Cincinnati Bengals ears. When Cincy visits the Purple and Gold, aka the Minnesota Vikings, the former will be 11-point underdogs. Unfortunately for the Bengals, they’re an orchestra sans a conductor. “As I told them [the team], sometimes they got to make their own music,” head coach Marvin Lewis said. “These guys have a lot to play for, and it’s not my responsibility to get them — as I said — to turn up the music.” Way to wash your hands of the team there, Marvin the Martian. Maybe he’s tone deaf?
Cincy visits the Purple and Gold
- Date: Sunday, 17th December 2017
- Time: 1:05 PM
- Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium
Online sportsbook American football betting odds:
Bengals +11 (-111) 42 (-115)
Vikings -11 (-109) 42 (-105)
Cincy tends to follow up losses by going under the total
The previous was a long short week for the Bengals. Cincy went to war with Pittsburgh in a 23-20 losing effort on December 4th. The scoreboard shows a close contest, but it was a blowout in terms of body count. Linebacker Vontaze Burfict, cornerback ‘Dr.’ Dre Kirkpatrick, and running back Joe Mixon all sustained concussions, and Adam Jones injured his groin, though given his fondness for ‘gentlemen’s establishments’ Pacman probably would have settled for a concussion too. As a result, the Bears were free to swoop in and feast on the carrion left by the Steelers. Which they did, handing the Bengals a 7-33 loss. Their worst since 2008.
The under is 7-3 in Cincy’s last 10 games after a loss. However, given the state of their defense, it wouldn’t be at all shocking that if the Vikes did enough damage to push the total over the 42 projected points. The Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall and 5-2 against the sportsbook NFL odds spread in their last seven games playing a team with a winning record.
Minnesota set to return to SU, ATS winning ways
Case Keenum had the blitz beat out of him by the Panthers on Sunday. He had four of his top 11 career passer ratings, 10 touchdowns to two turnovers, and almost 1,100 passing yards with a 74-percent completion rate in the previous four games. The Panthers put an end to that happy crappy, though. They sacked Keenum, who dropped five passes and had three TOs, six times. Head coach Mike Zimmer couldn’t have been happy about his team’s performance. However, he was even unhappier with the officials’ calls. Calls which were “messed up.”
"We didn't execute well in a lot of areas." – Coach Zimmer after reviewing yesterday's game
?: https://t.co/Hmo2CauiVA pic.twitter.com/I7azSg4s8O
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 11, 2017
The Vikes saw a seven-game SU and ATS streak end with Sunday’s 31-24 loss. But they will have a perfect opportunity to bounce back on both accounts against the depleted Bengals. Minnesota is 40-16 ATS in their last 56 games overall. The Vikings are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 playing a team with a losing record. The team favored by the sportsbook NFL odds is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in this matchup. The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 encounters.