NFL WEEK 4
GREG COTE’S THURSDAY PICK
JAGUARS (0-3) at BENGALS (2-1)
Line: CIN by 7 1/2.
Cote’s pick: CIN 27-17.
TV: 8:20 p.m. Thursday, NFL.
Thursday night presents an off-the-marquee matchup but one sneaky interesting nonetheless as we get the duel of the past two overall No. 1 draft picks in Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence. They met once as collegians, with Burrow and LSU beating Lawrence and Clemson for the 2019 national championship — fueled by Burrow’s five TD passes. Will Lawrence get his revenge? The game also gives us the sideline sight of Urban Meyer in uncommon distress. Meyer in 17 years of college coaching was never 0-3. His Ohio State teams were 83-9. So his maiden NFL go with Jacksonville is misery all new to him. And it looks to continue here in prime time. Jags will have a shot if they play clean, but Lawrence (seven picks) has yet to manage that as a pro. And Cincy’s usually rotten defense has quietly gotten pretty good, allowing the sixth-fewest points and eighth-fewest yards in the league thus far. The cautions with this pick: Can the Bengals be trusted? Last time Gals started 2-1 (2018) they finished 6-10. They’re on a 3-11 skid in prime-time games. They haven’t been this big a favorite in four years. And this smells like a sandwich game in between an impressive win at Pittsburgh and Green Bay on deck. Makes Jax plus 7 1/2 a tempting play. But I like Cincy for a double-digit cover as Joe tops Trevor once again.
[Note: Betting line courtesy Caesars Sportsbook as of midday Wednesday.]
