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NFL Pick – Week 1

Under the prime-time lights of Monday Night Football, the Bengals will look to jump-out to a fast start with a win on the road against their bitter AFC North rivals. This will be no small task considering they have lost the last three meetings straight-up and are 1-1-1 against the spread. Coming into this season, all eyes will be on Cincinnati’s new dynamic duo; quarterback Andy Dalton throwing the ball to wide receiver AJ Green. This pair of second-year vets lit things up as rookies last year.

Cincinnati also comes into this matchup with a solid defense that was the real surprise of this team’s march to a wildcard spot in last season’s playoffs. The Bengals went 2-2 in the preseason both SU and ATS and are 3-1-1 ATS in their last five trips to Baltimore.

The pressure is mounting on both head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco to get this Raven team over the hump and into a Super Bowl. They have been a perennial contender for the last several seasons, but keep finding a way to come up short in the postseason. A win on Monday night would certainly help point the ship in the right direction, but a loss could prove to be disastrous.

Baltimore ended the preseason 2-2 SU and ATS as well, but lit up the scoreboard with a total of 108 points, which was the most in the AFC. Its defense was less than stout; giving-up 92 points in the four games. The real concern on this side of the ball is replacing the huge void left by the loss of All-Pro linebacker Terrell Suggs, who tore his Achilles tendon this offseason. The Ravens will have to count on an aging Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to pick up the slack.

Prediction:

Many experts are predicting a downturn for Cincinnati after last season’s surprising 9-7 SU record, but this team has enough talent on both sides of the ball to compete with the likes of Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the division. The Bengals may not win this game outright, but their defense coupled with just enough offensive output from Dalton will keep things close enough to cover with the six points. Baltimore 23 Cincinnati 20