Prop Bets Center Around New York Jets, Bengals In Playoff Opener

NFL News - January 5th, 2010 - Written by John

The Cincinnati Bengals had a miserable time trying to crack through the New York Jets' no.1-ranked defense last week, but BetUS has them as odds-on favorites to score first in the 2009 NFL Playoffs.

Being a perceived better team throughout the course of the season gives the Bengals a slight edge, at -120 to New York's -110, but a closer look shows there's not that big of a difference.

Both teams scored the first points in seven of their 16 games this year, and both were shut out at least once. Momentum would favor the Jets, though, because they were the team that handed Cincinnati it's lone shutout of the year last week.

It's hard to imagine the Bengals being held off the scoreboard against the same team two weeks in a row, but Darrell Revis certainly contained the passing game all day, meaning running back Cedric Benson will have to come up with another big day to crack New York's top-ranked defense.

Knowing that defense would help, though. Benson admitted on Tuesday that he doesn't really familiarize himself with other teams, and didn't know who Jets leading tackler David Harris was.

"I don't know how big of an impact he makes on that defense," Benson said. "I'm not a big names guy or who's playing. I don't even really know who that is."

A Bengals TD is the favorite for first scoring play of their wild card game this Saturday, paying back at +150. A Jets touchdown is next in line at +225 before it's back to the Bengals. If Shayne Graham manages to kick his 24th field goal of the year to start the scoring, bettors will receive a +250 kickback, according to NFL Playoff Betting Lines.

Neither team figures to light up the scoreboard, though, with the Jets ranking 17th in scoring and Cincinnati ranking 22nd. And what each team does best on offense is what the other team does best on defense.

New York is the top-ranked rushing team in the league, and the Bengals are seventh-best stopping the run.

Cincinnati is ninth in rushing, and the Jets are eighth against it.