Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens – Monday September 10, 2012 7:00PM EST
The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the most difficult jobs in all of professional football. The team has to get good enough to beat the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers at least once a year to even consider advancing in the playoffs. The betting websites like the moves thatCincinnati has made in the offseason that should help the team to compete in the tough AFC North. The fact that offensive superstars quarterback Andy Dalton and receiver A.J. Green have had another training camp together also helps the Bengals’ chances of success.
The Baltimore Ravens have made it very clear that its goal is to win the Super Bowl. The Ravens came so close to making it to the Super Bowl in 2011 that the online football betting experts could not help but makeBaltimore an AFC favorite again in 2012. But key players such as Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are getting older inBaltimore and that window of success is closing quickly. While there may be a sense of pride pushing the Ravens to succeed this year, you can bet that there is also a sense of urgency involved in there as well.
Cincinnati Bengals
NFL fans forget that the Bengals had one of the top defenses in the entire league last season. But some key injuries to top defensive players in training camp and the preseason threaten to shake the foundation of that strong defense. The online sports betting experts are reserving judgment on the Bengals until they get a chance to see theCincinnati defense at work. Opening up the season on the road inBaltimore is the perfect chance forCincinnati to see where its defense is as far its development and what changes will need to be made going forward into the rest of the season. The Bengals offense should look much stronger in 2012 as some new faces on the offensive line and a more experiencedDalton will be significant upgrades for the team.
Baltimore Ravens
A 5dimes.com review of the Ravens’ roster shows that this team is ready to compete at the highest levels of the NFL. The rest of the league does not have nearly as much faith in quarterback Joe Flacco as the Ravens have, but that does not botherBaltimore. With a strong running game headed up by running back Ray Rice and an aggressive defense, the Ravens will be tough this year. The only question to be answered is how the Ravens’ defense will make up for the loss of pro bowl defensive star Terrell Suggs.
The Bottom Line
The Bengals will make this game much more competitive than the games it had with the Ravens last year, but the Ravens are on a mission. A focusedBaltimoreteam is going to giveCincinnatimore than it can handle in both contests the teams will have with each other this season.
Read more about the Baltimore Ravens and its Super Bowl quest.
Pick: Baltimore Ravens
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