San Diego Chargers (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)
Week 2 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, September 20, 2015 at 1PM EST
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
TV: CBS
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Betting Odds: SD +3CIN -3
Over/Under Total: 45.5
The San Diego Chargers come out to Paul Brown Stadium to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. For hard-bitten veteran fans of the Chargers, it's hard to think about Cincinnati without thinking about how 3 decades ago, the Chargers and Air Coryell were kept out the Super Bowl in a loss to the Bengals in the famous Ice Bowl. It won't be anything like that this week, but it is certainly a tough road game for the Chargers. Both teams won and covered the spread in week 1. The Chargers came from well off the pace to beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday, while the Bengals went into Oakland and dominated the Raiders for a nice start to the 2015 campaign.
The Chargers looked to be in bad shape on Sunday, with their offense and defense getting off to a slow start. The Lions jumped out to a big 21-3 lead in the second quarter, before Philip Rivers got into a groove and got this offense moving. They scored their first touchdown late in the first half, before really taking it to the Lions in the final 30 minutes. A 38-33 win underlined their potential for havoc. It really looked bad in the early-going. Detroit was moving the ball. Rivers had thrown a pick-six. But they showed some grit in soldiering on to a win.
QUIT PISSING AWAY YOUR HARD EARNED LOOT! BET ON GAMES AT DISCOUNTED ODDS -105 TODAY AT 5DIMES
Rivers was 35-for-42 for 404 yards on Sunday. Even without TE Antonio Gates, the receiving package is loaded. Keenan Allen, who will hopefully become more consistent this season, caught 15 balls for 166 yards. New addition Stevie Johnson looks to give this aerial attack a new dimension, as he caught 8 balls, including a touchdown reception. In relief for Gates, Ladarius Green was very serviceable. Rookie running back Melvin Gordon got off to a rough start, but picked up some nice runs as the game carried on. With Danny Woodhead and Branden Oliver chipping in at running back and Malcom Floyd a constant deep-threat aerially, Rivers enjoys the luxury of a deep tool box.
San Diego looked ragged early, as the offensive line seemed to struggle. Also on Sunday, we saw lineman DJ Fluker taken off the field in a cart, as the talented first-rounder continues to see injuries curtail his career. The addition of T Joe Barksdale at tackle is helpful, but it seems like the San Diego offensive line is constantly beset with injuries. It's hard to thrive with an offensive line that is always in a patchwork state. But after working through innumerable setbacks on the O-line, the Bolts are at least used to working through these crises.
A lot of people were expecting the Raiders to really give the Bengals a run for their money on Sunday. And while the Raiders may eventually get it together, they really got their hats handed to them on Sunday—taken out of the game early and never really having a chance. Entering the 4th quarter, it was 33-0, with Oakland adding a few garbage touchdowns at the end. Andy Dalton looked terrific at quarterback, bolstered by the return of impactful tight end Tyler Eifert, who caught two touchdown balls. RB Jeremy Hill had a good game, scoring another two touchdowns, with Giovani Bernard adding some useful runs. AJ Green didn't have his best game, but he takes a lot of attention off the other receivers. It's not easy to go into Oakland and for the Bengals to effectively blow out a hopeful Raiders squad was awfully impressive.
As the season gets into the beef of the Cincy schedule, beginning with this game, we'll see more of what this Bengals' defense is made of. But we saw some of the things that we've become accustomed to seeing out of this squad. We saw some of what should be an excellent secondary from the Bengals, but they will be tested much more severely this Sunday by Rivers and Company. But even the defensive front, which had lost some its edge over the past season or two, looked good in pressuring Oakland's Derek Carr. Maybe they can find more success against this San Diego offensive line.
A lot of people make the mistake of characterizing the Bengals on the basis of their horrific postseason record—getting bounced from the playoffs without registering a win in 4 straight seasons. But they are an established winner in the regular season. In the past two seasons, they've only lost three games at home. And if San Diego puts forth the first half that they had last week, this Bengals' defense isn't going to let them get back in the game.
At the same time, San Diego coming back like they did on Sunday gives them some wind in their sails heading into this matchup. They showed that when the offense gets untracked, they're nearly unstoppable. And if Gordon finds his legs and gets further acclimated to the speed of the NFL, it gives this offense even more teeth. Getting points and facing a Cincinnati team that may have been made to look a little better than they really are on week 1, this might be a good spot for the Bolts.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the San Diego Chargers plus 3 points. Tired of your credit card not working for sportsbook deposit? End that problem today by signing up at Bovada Sportsbook where your credit card WILL work and where you'll receive a generous 50% sign-up bonus!
