Sunday Night Football tips, odds

The Bengals’ chances of reaching the postseason took another hit last week with an overtime home loss to the Ravens.

According to TeamRankings, Cincinnati was the unluckiest team this season.

Although we would like to assume that the luck tends to even out over the course of a season, the Bengals continue to find new ways to lose ballgames.

They will try to get back in the win column again on Sunday night when they take on the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

Although the Bengals should be better than their 1-4 record, bettors should opt for a different approach instead of rushing to put up 3.5 points on the road.

Bengals outlook: coaching failure

Given the slim margin between wins and losses in the NFL, the Bengals coaching staff cannot continue its history of poor play management.

In Joe Burrow’s second season in 2021, coach Zac Taylor expressed regret for taking the ball out of his quarterback’s hands after an overtime loss to the 49ers.

With the game tied at 20, Cincinnati won the coin toss and elected to receive.

Burrow completed two passes to get the Bengals to the 49ers’ 26-yard line.

But instead of allowing his quarterback to continue throwing the ball, Taylor waited until third down to finally call a pass play.

Burrow was sacked and the Bengals settled for a field goal, giving the 49ers a chance to tie or win the game with a touchdown.

We saw a similar scenario last week when Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson fumbled in overtime.

Cincinnati recovered the ball in Ravens territory at the 38-yard line and ran the ball three times, gaining only 3 yards and settling for a 53-yard field goal.

This time, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson missed wide and Baltimore needed just one play to reach the Cincinnati 6-yard line thanks to a 51-yard run by Derrick Henry.

In summary, Taylor’s reluctance to trust his franchise quarterback is the reason the Bengals are fighting for their playoff life just five games into the season.

Zac Taylor Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Giants outlook: Jones’ growth

After Big Blue’s 0-2 start, there was nothing but doom and gloom. Still, none of the Giants’ losses were bad losses.

After all, the Vikings, Commanders and Cowboys are all over .500 with a combined record of 12-3.

Quarterback Daniel Jones ranks 12th in overall QBR (60.6), and if you omit his Week 1 stinker against the Vikings, he would have an overall QBR of 68.3, which is fifth in the NFL would lie.

Jones is showing some improvement in his ability to utilize all of his wide receivers, which is crucial with star rookie Malik Nabers set to miss another week with a concussion.

The most important thing we’ll learn on Sunday may involve the Giants’ defense, which ranks 19th in FTN Fantasy’s Defense-Adjusted Value Above Average (DVOA).

It’s worth noting that Burrow has the highest overall QBR (73.6) of any quarterback the Giants have faced this season.

Betting on the NFL?

Bengals vs. Giants selection

The Bengals’ offense is firing on all cylinders, ranking second in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) and fourth in points scored.

But if Taylor continues to stand in the way, Burrow’s only option is to score as many points as possible to keep his head coach from screwing things up.

Historically, the Bengals average 30.5 points as a 3.5-point favorite in this price range, with Burrow at center.

So I like the idea of backing the Bengals to beat their alternate team’s point total of 24.5 at -120 odds.

Recommendation: Bengals ALT team overall over 24.5 (-120, DraftKings)

Why you should trust New York Post Betting

For the New York Post, Michael Arinze hinders most major sports. He has won two 15-leg teasers and a 12-leg parlay in his betting career, which spanned eight games of the Little League World Series. Most recently, he precisely selected the finalists for the 2024 European Championship and the Copa América.