The 49ers opened their Week 2 matchup in Cincinnati favored by 1.5 points. That line has flipped to Bengals -1 according to the consensus line at VegasInsider.com. Some books have Cincinnati giving 1.5 points, while others have the game as a Pick ‘Em.
This essentially means no sports books are sure of what to make of this matchup. San Francisco won their Week 1 showdown with the Buccaneers 31-17, but it was an all-around unconvincing victory. The Bengals lost 21-20 in Week 1 to the Seahawks, but mostly outplayed Seattle in the Pacific Northwest. The problem is Cincinnati’s roster. It’s pretty unremarkable, so buying into them after one competitive game is probably unwise.
That leaves sports books at an impasse that has the line sliding up and down depending on the book.
San Francisco has a real opportunity to make a statement Sunday. A win would secure back-to-back road wins to open a season for the first time since 1989. It would also give them a 2-0 record heading home for a pair of games with a bye week sandwiched between them.
The 49ers will be a little easier for sports books to get behind if they can put together a convincing win against the Bengals in Week 2.
