Cin+6.5 (8-6, 10-4) at StL (11-3, 8-5-1)
The Bengals are respectable on the road, going 5-2 ATS, 3-4 SU. The Rams are double tough at home where things just seem to fall into place for them, including officials knocking down opponents receivers on potential game winning plays. I believe that they are the most over rated team in the NFC, however, and that will be exhibited today. Marshall Faulk is playing on instinct and guts and brains. Although he can still be very effective with the fast start and unerring ability to hit the hole, he doesn’t seem to be able to make the next cut. The Seahawks flat pushed the StL. defense around last week, out gaining them on the ground and through the air.
The bottom line for me here is that while both teams have suspect run defenses, Cincy has the studs at RB to control the game while the Rams don’t. If I don’t see Aeneas Williams or Grant Wistrom running the ball into the end zone, I actually expect a Bengals win. That is, of course, if Marvin Lewis is not completely blinded by the omnipresence of the “genius” Mike Martz. Cincy for three stars.
