Bengals guarantee.

[Senor Capper]

Bengals guarantee a victory against Texans

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Associated Press


CINCINNATI -- The NFL's worst team is going to win next week. Guaranteed.

Says who? The lowly Cincinnati Bengals themselves.

? I think the result will be different in the very near future. I'll make that prediction. ?
? Bengals coach Dick LeBeau

The league's only winless team is short on victories, but not on nerve. After a 30-24 loss to Tennessee, coach Dick LeBeau brashly predicted a victory next Sunday in Houston.

Given a chance to take it back a day later, LeBeau didn't back down.

"I think this team's going to start winning,'' LeBeau said Monday. "I think we played a hard game, a competitive game, and we did as much as the other team did. We just didn't win the game.

"I think the result will be different in the very near future. I'll make that prediction.''

Got that, Texans?

LeBeau was even more emphatic on the subject after Sunday's loss, which ended with a memorable Bengal blunder. Pulling guard Matt O'Dwyer tripped Corey Dillon inches short of the goal line with 68 seconds left, dropping the Bengals to 0-7 for the fourth time since 1991.

LeBeau sounded a little like Joe Namath as he summed up the game and looked ahead.

"I thought the team fought. We had every opportunity to win, and next week we will win,'' he said, delivering the last line with extra emotion.

Asked whether that amounted to a prediction, LeBeau said, "I believe this team is going to win.''

The bulletin-board material didn't end there. Informed of their coach's brash statements, his players backed him up.

"Next week, I assure you a win,'' receiver Chad Johnson said. "I guarantee you we will win.''

If they do, it will be an upset. The expansion Texans have two more wins than the Bengals and are favored to get another one on their home field Sunday. Houston (2-5) beat Dallas to open the season and is coming off a 21-19 victory over Jacksonville.

Until LeBeau made his prediction, there was nothing special about their matchup. Now, the Texans have plenty of motivation -- the league's worst team is showing them no respect.

A loss by the Bengals would clinch a 12th straight season without a winning record. Cincinnati is 53-130 since 1991, the worst record in the NFL over that span.

Although LeBeau's prediction was unexpected, it wasn't uncharacteristic. Despite his 10-26 record as the Bengals coach, LeBeau has made some surprising remarks from time to time.


During training camp in 2001, he started referring to the upcoming "championship season.'' Cincinnati went 6-10.


During minicamp last May, LeBeau donned a Superman shirt and ran through a banner that said ``Bengals Super Bowl 2002.''


When he announced Gus Frerotte as the starting quarterback during training camp, he looked over the crowded media room and said, "This will be the second-largest crowd we have in here, subject to the Monday after we clinch the playoffs.''

The players bought into his playoff talk in preseason. Seven losses later, they're compelled to back him on the first-win talk as well.

"I'm with him,'' Dillon said. "There's no other choice.''


May have to give the Texans a serious look this weekend

 

[Senor Capper]

LAS VEGAS - If you enjoy bad football, this Sunday?s contest between the Bengals and Texans is for you. It doesn't get any worse than this.

And yes, it wasn't a difficult decision for the oddsmakers at Las Vegas Sports Consultants to make the expansion Texans a three-point favorite.

"The Texans play much better defense than Cincinnati," said LVSC odds manager Cesar Robaina. "Cincinnati has absolutely nothing going for it. Yes, it's interesting to make an expansion team the favorite, but at the same time Cincinnati couldn't beat a high school team."

The Bengals nearly upset Tennessee at home, but Corey Dillon was stopped inches short of the goal near the end of the game. Meanwhile, Houston defeated Jacksonville on the road as a double-digit 'dog.

"One thing they've done all year is play good defense," Robaina said of the Texans. "Their offense is still behind, but it has picked up the last couple of weeks. They're running the ball a little better, and the offensive line is doing a better job."

Robaina considers the Texans slightly ahead of the Bengals. Couple that with the Texans having home field advantage and it's an easy call to make Houston minus three.

A far harder opening number to make was on the St. Louis-Arizona matchup.

"It was definitely a brutal number to make," Robaina said.

The LVSC oddsmakers had a wide range of opinions, finally sending out the Rams minus five. By early Monday afternoon, the number had dipped to St. Louis minus three.

"Where do you put the Rams?" asked Robaina. "They are coming around, and they're off a bye. That helps. Their offense looks more in gear.

"(Marc) Bulger certainly isn't Kurt Warner, but he's an upgrade over Jamie Martin. They're running the ball better now with (Marshall) Faulk.

"But that was at home on turf. Now they're playing on the road on grass against a team that has played good defense at home."

The Cardinals are surrendering an average of 12 points in three home games. However, those games were against San Diego, the New York Giants and Dallas. None of those squads has a great offense.

When the Cardinals tried to step up in class this past Sunday, San Francisco handed them a 10-point loss.

"That showed how far apart the Cardinals are talent-wise," Robaina said.

So, how good are the Rams anymore? Early money says the Cardinals can hang with them.

It was another good day Sunday for NFL underdogs, evidenced by a 9-4 ledger against the number. In addition, Kansas City, Atlanta, Cleveland, Seattle, Denver, Houston and Washington all won without the points.

Underdogs are now 67-44-2 (60 percent) against the spread this season, not including Monday night's Giants-Eagles affair. The 'over' is slightly ahead of the 'under' in totals at 58-54-1.

 

[monkey]

yea

yea

I just read that myself what a Hoot.

I can't belive I ate the hole thing

 

[Fabulous]

You show that the underdogs are now 67-44-2 on the year so far, from experience and history would you say that it will equal out by year end? If so, the fav's will not be giving as many points as they should thus playing the them is the way to go for the second half of the season? Or is this generally not true?

 

[Valuist]

Not so fast, fabulous. Underdogs usually cover more games than faves in the NFL. The public overbets the favorites, and the nature of the game is to get a lead in the 2nd half, then work the clock; not necessarily put more pts on the board.

 

[TheShrimp]

The LVSC oddsmakers had a wide range of opinions, finally sending out the Rams minus five. By early Monday afternoon, the number had dipped to St. Louis minus three.

Man, I would have loved to get that 5. I played them at 3 at even money. I had this one circled before this weekend even started.

Zona turned it over on the first play from scrimmage which is a shit of a way to start on the road, and they were in FG range when Plummer threw that last pick.

They're a decent team. I think bettors are back on the rams, and this one's on grass. ZONA wins.