Cincinnati Bengals vs Indianapolis Colts Point Spread Picks

Daniel Jones has been named the starting quarterback for Indianapolis, which has given up on Anthony Richardson, who is likely to be traded. Jones is in his seventh NFL season, the first six with the Giants, where he had a 64.1 percent completion rate while throwing for 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He went 7 for 11 for 101 yards in the Colts' 23-19 loss to Green Bay last week. Riley Leonard went 7-for-12 for 64 yards, and Jason Bean threw for 37 yards for the Colts. Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen is 7-1 OVER in the preseason. Zac Taylor is 9-6 OVER for Cincinnati, including both games this year. However, Taylor is still just 4-13-1 straight up in his preseason career, including 1-7 at home. Indianapolis has gone OVER four of five in preseason Game 3s, and Steichen has won five of eight overall, including by a combined 54-27 score in the final preseason game of his first two years. Take the Colts on the moneyline and the OVER.

Indianapolis comes off a 21-13 win over Arizona with the edge in yards, 356-232. The Colts will play their starters into the second quarter. QB Anthony Richardson has looked good and QB Sam Ehlinger is 9-of-13 for 118 yards in two games. Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor is 1-4 in Weeks 3 and 4 of preseason. They haven't shown much this August, winless after a 27-3 loss at Chicago. The offense has averaged 8.5 points in two games. The Bengals won't play any of their starters in this one. A year ago in Week 3, the Colts played their starters while the Philadelphia Eagles didn't. Indianapolis was on the road but rolled to a 27-13 victory with 393 yards. Play Indianapolis.

Indianapolis is on a 4-0 SU/ATS run just one game behind Jacksonville for first place in the AFC South. The offense is eighth in points scored and the Colts are 5-1 SU, 6-0 ATS on the road. Indy is 36-18 ATS off a road victory against a division rival, plus 62-34 ATS after scoring 25+ points in two consecutive contests. Last place Cincinnati is allowing the most yards defensively in the league (388.2 per game). The run defense allows 133.9 yards on the ground per contest and the Colts are 12th in rushing. Cincinnati is on a 1-3 SU/ATS run with backup QB Jake Browning stepping in for injured Joe Burrow. The Bengals have no running game to help him out ranked last in rushing while averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. Cincinnati comes off a surprising 34-31 win at Jacksonville, but NFL teams off an upset win as a double-digit dog with a winning percentage between 45-55% are 3-21 ATS in the next game. Play Indianapolis.

Indianapolis faced its toughest test of the season against Cleveland, and the Colts lost 32-23 in a game that was made closer by Isaiah Rodgers' 101-yard kickoff return for a TD by the Colts. Indianapolis does lead the league in total yards allowed, but its schedule has not been filled with offensive juggernauts. Philip Rivers went 21 of 33 for 243 yards, but he was picked off twice, and there was talk of replacing him this week, although coach Frank Reich put that to rest. The Colts managed only 68 rushing yards against the Browns, who outgained Indy 385-308. Cincinnati ran into a buzz saw at Baltimore as No. 1 pick Joe Burrow was sacked seven times in his worst performance of the season. However, it was a good learning experience for the rookie, and the Bengals are getting more than a touchdown this week. Cincy is 10-4 ATS its last 14 games as a road underdog, and the Colts have not covered the number four of their last five games versus AFC teams. The Bengals had covered three in a row before the loss to the Ravens, so look for them to keep this one close on Sunday. Play the Bengals for a Max Play.

The Indianapolis coaching staff cares little about preseason, dropping all three games despite playing the last two at home. Now they head out on the road after a difficult week, dealing with the surprise retirement of franchise QB Andrew Luck. The defense has given up over 20 points in every game. They come off a 10-point loss to Chicago, giving up six sacks while the run defense allowed 5.1 yards per carry. Backup QBs Phillip Walker and Chad Kelly combined for one TD, and two picks last week while the O-line has allowed 11 sacks in three games. Cincinnati is home and has a new head coach in Zac Taylor, making this a good spot to impress the fans. They topped Washington in Week 2 (23-13), then played well last week with 325 yards passing in a 25-23 loss to the Giants. Their QBs combined for three TDs, and no picks, while the run defense was dominant in allowing just 56 yards and 2.2 yards per carry. Back the Bengals for my 2019 NFL Preseason Game of the Year.