Online betting players will count the Hall of Fame game as the unofficial beginning to NFL betting season, and they could be getting a very good matchup in Canton, Ohio as Dallas and Cincinnati will face off at Fawcett Stadium. The Bengals had a very good draft, and that’s one of the main reasons they’ll come away with the win.
What: NFL betting
When: Sunday, August 8, 8:00 PM ET
Where: Fawcett Stadium, Canton, OH
Pick: Bengals
What’s On The Line
This is essentially an exhibition game, and you won’t see very many of the star players you’re used to seeing for very long. At most, the first-string players will play the first quarter, but it’s more likely that they’ll play a series or two as to avoid injury. Therefore, this is a good chance to see some good rookies as well as veterans who are looking to make an impact on their coaches.
Offensive Matchups: Cowboys Bengals Betting
You can pencil in Dez Bryant as the NFL betting favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, as the Cowboys got their first-round pick signed to a contract. This is a great sign for the Cowboys as we all saw how far behind Michael Crabtree was all last season while holding out of camp and the first five weeks of the season in San Francisco. That means Bryant can work on his timing with quarterback Tony Romo, who will probably give way to backup Jon Kitna, although we already know what he can do. Look for Stephen McGee to get some reps under center as well for the Cowboys.
J.T. Sullivan will probably see a lot of work as the Bengals won’t want to risk an injury to quarterback Carson Palmer, who showed glimpses of the guy who won the Heisman at USC, not the injury-plagued pivot of the last few years who has looked tentative at time. We’ll also see Antonio Bryant in Cincinnati uniform for the first time as he lines up opposite Chad Ochocinco, who will surely find his way to a camera at some point during the game. It’s also the first chance to see a couple of rookies from the Big 12, tight end Jermaine Gresham and receiver Jordan Shipley. The Bengals have never really used the tight end all that much, but Gresham, out of Oklahoma, was far too good to pass on. As for Shipley, the Bengals see him as a slot receiver in the Wes Welker vein.
Betting picks: Bengals
Defensive Matchups: Cowboys Bengals Betting
NFL betting players probably won’t see much of Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware for the Cowboys, but the player to watch will be rookie Sean Lee, a linebacker out of Penn State, and while “Linebacker U” hasn’t sent out the prospects lately that they used to, Lee is a very intriguing linebacker and could prove to be a good backup for the inside duo of Bradie James and Keith Brooking. The Cowboys were 20th in the league against the pass last year, and they were exposed by Minnesota in the playoffs, so that will be something to improve for Dallas.
Again, the Bengals have an interesting rookie in defensive end Carlos Dunlap, who had a great career at Florida but it was sometimes marked by off-field troubles (Dunlap missed the 2009 SEC Championship game because of a drunk-driving charge). Dunlap has an excellent mix of size, speed and power as a rush end, and that would improve a Cincinnati pass rush that was tied for 16th in sacks. The Bengals finished in the top 10 of both pass and run defending, and Dunlap could be the crown jewel.
Sports picks: Bengals
Notable Injuries: Cowboys Bengals Betting
Neither teams have any major injuries coming into this game, and they’ll be aiming to leave in the same fashion.
Free pick: Draw
Outlook and Pick: Cowboys Bengals Betting
This will be more of a game to see how much depth a team has, and a look at their rookie classes, which makes this a tough game to handicap. Both teams have a lot of talent on their roster, but we’re going with Cincinnati in this game because we think they drafted better, and they have one of the best defenses in the NFL. We expect Bryant to do some good things in this game, but overall, we think the Bengals are deeper and are the sports betting play here.
Stan’s Pick: Bengals