In a game that traditionally features players further down the depth chart or not even on it, the Week 4 preseason matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals could be even worse. With the teams scheduled to kick off the regular season against each other, this has to be one of the strangest scheduling snafus in the history of scheduling. Both coaches will likely play ultra-conservative football and not give anything away, so we can expect a boring finale.
This Week 4 preseason duel will take place on Thursday, August 30, 2018, at 7 p.m. ET from Paul Brown Stadium.
NFL Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Indianapolis Colts +1.5
Cincinnati Bengals -1.5
Over/Under 35
Odds Analysis
Neither team will want to show its hand given they open the regular season in a little over a week. Expect both clubs to be conservative in their approach, which could help under bettors. The Bengals opened as a 1.5-point favorite, mainly because they are the home team. The total hit the board at 35.
Quarterback Rotation
After helping the Colts get a win last week, Andrew Luck said he “passed” his preseason tests and is ready for the regular season to begin. He’ll get a good look at his first opponent when the Colts take on the Bengals, however he’ll be watching from the sideline. And there’s a good chance backup Jacoby Brissett doesn’t play, leaving the game in the hands of Phillip Walker.
There were four quarterbacks on the roster until last week when the club waived Brad Kaaya with an injury designation, and considering Luck’s injury situation we could see the Colts keep three quarterbacks on the roster. Walker was a practice squad player last season and is familiar with the organization. Walker has had a strong preseason completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 183 yards with two touchdowns and a 109.3 rating. He hasn’t played much, but the results are significantly better than last preseason.
The Bengals backup job remains unsettled and we could see both Matt Barkley and Jeff Driskell take snaps on Thursday. Barkley relieved Andy Dalton against the Bills and threw for 112 yards on 9 of 16 passing with an interception. Driskell was listed as the No. 2 QB but came on with the third group to complete 4 of 7 for 75 yards. The reversal of roles leads us to believe the job is still up for grabs.
Driskell has better numbers than Barkley, but he’s yet to throw a pass or play in a regular season game. Driskell has completed 24 of 38 attempts for 332 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Barkley is 17 of 33 for 230 yards and also has a touchdown and interception on his ledger. There is a fourth quarterback on the roster and we could see rookie Logan Woodside, who played one series against Dallas two weeks ago.
Players to Watch
Most coaches would like to have position battles decided by this time of the preseason. Unfortunately, due to injuries or bad play, some take longer to figure out. The Colts have had problems with their offensive line for years and it’s happening again. Injuries to Anthony Castanzo and Denzelle Good have the coaching staff searching for suitable replacements.
The biggest concern is at the right tackle spot where Austin Howard was abused last week and lifted early after giving up a sack. J’Marcus Webb, Braden Smith and Joe Haeg have taken turns at the spot with no one gaining separation. Smith has moved to the opposite side to fill in for Castonzo and Haeg has played at guard. Frank Reich said his staff will take time to make a decision, but that he’s happy with the players he has.
Free ATS Pick
Don’t expect anything flamboyant in this matchup with the teams set to open the regular year. Reich said that while his staff gets acclimated to the NFL and the organization, he purposely used a conservative game plan, and it showed. The Colts haven’t done anything outlandish and they aren’t going to start on Thursday. You can expect the Bengals to run a vanilla game plan as well, leaving the under as a strong pick.
I like what Marvin Lewis is doing in Cincinnati. He got a reprieve by coming back and he’s coaching like he has nothing to lose, which he really doesn’t. The backup QB job will be decided and both Barkley and Driskell are superior to what Walker can do. We won’t see a lot from either side, but the Bengals will do enough on their home turf to get the victory.
NFL Betting Odds: Bengals 16, Colts 9
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