Heading in to the 2011-12 NFL season, the defending Super Bowl finalist Pittsburgh Steelers were joined by the New England Patriots and New York Jets on the list of teams considered legitimate contenders to compete for an AFC Championship this season. However, nobody could have predicted that at this point in the season that those teams would be joined at the front of the playoff race by the Cincinnati Bengals, which have been one of the biggest surprises of the year and now have the chance to make a statement in the first of two crucial division games this sports betting weekend.
Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) @ Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, 4:15 PM ET
For as good as the Bengals have been this season, the pay head fact that they haven’t proved anything against the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens so far is testament to the fact that their record has to be taken with a grain of salt. In order to be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Buffalo Bills are the only team with a winning record that Cincinnati has beaten so far. The Bengals will be tested this weekend against a tough Pittsburgh team that comes in to this game looking to bounce back from their second loss of the season to the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers played much better last weekend than they did in their opening loss to Baltimore, but it still wasn’t enough as they came up short once again. Ben Roethlisberger and company will provide Cincinnati with a real NFL test as they look to get back on track before their bye week, and it will be interesting to see how they hold it together.
NFL Betting Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers - 3
New England Patriots @ New York Jets (-1.5)
Sunday, 8:30 PM ET
After leading the AFC out of the gate with five wins through their first six games, the Patriots have come crashing down to earth in an incredible fashion, with losses in consecutive weeks to both the Steelers and New York Giants. While the defense has been as awful as it could be under head coach Bill Belichick, the offense has made their share of mistakes over the past couple of weeks, including two interceptions from Tom Brady in last week’s loss. Brady told reporters after that defeat that this would be a true test of the team’s character, and it will be interesting to see how they respond against a talented Jets’ team that has really taken off in recent weeks. New York has won three straight and this meeting against another division rival could not have come at a better time. The Jets’ defense is back at the level they played at when they made it to the AFC Championship game in consecutive seasons, and the offense may finally be catching up with quarterback Mark Sanchez leading the intertops way.
NFL Betting Pick: New York Jets – 1.5
