Even after another primetime drubbing at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cincinnati Bengals have managed to open the Week 5 lines as favorites.
They have the fact it’s a home game against the Arizona Cardinals to thank.
On the early lines after the Monday night loss, the Bengals are 3.5-point favorites (odds via BetMGM).
Unexpected, given the 27-3 beat down while falling to 0-4 and getting a historically bad performance from the offensive line against the Steelers.
The offense was bad, to say the least, and the last time the Bengals played at home they let a 41-17 defeat occur — in the home opener of a new era.
Sounds harsh but helps to explain the slight surprise of the line.
The Cardinals, at least, tied a two-win Lions team that has played Kansas City tough. They have an exciting young quarterback in Kyler Murray and a strongish running game.
The Bengals haven’t proven to be a good bet often so far. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to see the line shift in favor of the Cardinals as the week progresses, especially if more injury news like the loss of John Ross continues to emerge.
