The Bengals had the most convincing win and the Chargers had the biggest comeback win in Week 1. Cincinnati waltzed to an easy victory in Oakland last week, sending the Raiders to the halftime locker room amid a chorus of boos from the home town fans. They’ll get a stiffer test from another AFC West foe when San Diego pays a visit. The Chargers scored 30 unanswered points to overcome a large deficit and beat the Lions. They hit the road where they are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six September road games.
ODDS
Cincinnati opened as 3.5-point chalk and that number was quickly wagered down to -3 with early money on the visiting Chargers. The Bengals get the standard field goal for home field advantage, so this one is basically a toss-up. The total hit the board at 45.5 and the over has some value with the offensive weapons each team possesses.
KEY INJURIES
D.J. Fluker – Suffered a high ankle sprain in last week’s game and could be out for several weeks, another blow to the Chargers offensive line. Reports say there is no break, but the starting guard is likely to miss a few games. Chris Hairston filled in following the injury and Trevor Robinson is another option on the O-line.
George Iloka – Injured his ankle making a tackle in Oakland last week and sat out the second half. The safety wasn’t really needed with the Bengals up big at the intermission. The injury reportedly isn’t serious, but those ankles can be tricky. Shawn Williams was solid in relief.
KEY MISMATCH
The Bengals have so much balance on offense it’s difficult to key on one player or area of the field. Cincinnati will rely on the running game with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard taking turns toting the rock. Hill comes at a defense with 235 pounds of force that can cut on a dime and has the speed to get the corner. Bernard is a small, shifty back who hides behind his mammoth linemen waiting to pick the hole. The passing game is much different with Tyler Eifert in the lineup. Receiver A.J. Green draws attention to the outside, opening up the middle for the 6-foot-6 tight end, whose height and jumping ability make him a nightmare for linebackers and safeties to cover. Quarterback Andy Dalton took advantage of mismatches created by multiple formations to tear apart Oakland’s defense by hitting 25 of 34 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Dalton had a seamless 117.8 rating with no picks and was rarely pressured thanks to stellar offensive line play.
KEY STAT
404 – Passing yards from quarterback Philip Rivers. Down 21-3 midway through the second quarter, the Chargers were forced to throw the ball and they did quite well. Rivers completed 35 of 42 attempts with two touchdowns and interceptions, while directing San Diego on a wild comeback. The Bengals allowed 183 pass yards to the Raiders, with plenty of that coming in fourth quarter garbage time.
BETTING ANGLE
Of the Bengal’s six postseason losses under coach Marvin Lewis, none stung more than losing at home to the Chargers in 2013. That club was a special one, winning 11 games and the AFC North title for only the third time in the past two decades. The Bengals had memorable wins over the Packers, Patriots and Colts on their way to a perfect home record. Cincy missed out on a first-round bye that year, instead hosting a Wild Card game against San Diego, a team the Bengals had beaten earlier in the season. Cincy couldn’t overcome several mistakes – turnovers, dropped passes, poor tackling – in what has defined their playoffs in the Lewis era, and lost the game 27-10. “We owe them. They knocked us out,” said defensive lineman Domata Peko. “A lot of guys here went through that. We’ll be ready for them.” Revenge can be a great motivator, even if it’s a season later.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Teams trying to take the next step lock up in what should be a good AFC battle. We figured the Bengals would be in contention for the AFC North title with a stacked roster, but we didn’t count on them looking so good in the opener. Every game won’t be that easy and the concern now is that Cincy could be an overconfident group. But they did have a chance to give starters a blow in the second half, saving bodies for closer games down the road, and this is one of them against a team the Bengals could be jockeying with for playoff spots in December. Cincinnati has the firepower and won’t meltdown defensively like Detroit did, making things tough on Rivers. There are points out there and these teams will play the over with the Bengals getting a home cover win.
Cincinnati 28, San Diego 20
BookMaker opened the spread for this Sunday matchup at -3.5 in favor of the Bengals. The NFL odds total surfaced at 45.5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals will take place Sunday, September 20, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET at Paul Brown Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
