One of the NFL injuries that will be readily apparent when the Arizona Cardinals head to Cincinnati will be who the Bengals have under center.
Cincinnati will be without quarterback Joe Burrow, who had an appendectomy in the offseason. The Bengals, instead, will be starting quarterback Brandon Allen, who started his career in Denver.
Trying to make a Bengals vs. Cardinals score prediction will be difficult based on how Cincinnati plans to utilize its quarterbacks.
Matchup Preview
Bengals vs. Cardinals Odds Breakdown
NFL betting odds have the Bengals as 3-point favorites. Cincinnati is -145 on the moneyline, while the Cardinals are +125. The over/under is set at 33.5 points.
Bengals vs. Cardinals Betting Preview
Cincinnati Bengals
NFL teams will be eager to see if Cincinnati can maintain the momentum from the Bengals’ surprise run to the Super Bowl last season.
Allen has proven himself as a capable backup quarterback during his three-year NFL career. In 14 appearances, Allen has thrown for 1,589 yards and completed 56.2 percent of his passes.
Allen has also thrown for ten touchdowns and six interceptions. Cincinnati has a deep core of wide receivers, including:
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Tee Higgins
- Tyler Boyd
Bengals Expectations
Chase is unlikely to play against Arizona, and Higgins has had a few minor bumps and bruises during training camp. If the Bengals can get some of their top targets into the lineup, they could cause a lot of chaos.
Beyond Allen, Cincinnati could be rolling out Jake Browning and Drew Plitt at quarterback. Bengals guard D’Ante Smith will also be questionable for the game as he is listed as day-to-day due to dealing with a back issue.
Arizona Cardinals
Anyone making NFL betting picks on the preseason need to keep an eye on which quarterbacks will see time in the preseason.
The Cardinals will want to keep Kyler Murray protected and likely will only play him in a limited capacity or not at all against the Bengals.
Arizona has a strong veteran backup quarterback in Colt McCoy, who will also have limited playing time.
The Cardinals will likely be playing Trace McSorley, and Jarrett Guarantano will also see playing time in Friday’s game.
Cardinals Injury Report
Arizona may be without cornerback Marco Wilson for Friday’s game, as he is listed as questionable with an undisclosed injury. One player that also may not play is wide receiver Marquise Brown.
Browns, who is questionable with a hamstring injury, has some off-the-field issues with speeding. While this game won’t matter in the NFL standings.
The Cardinals are hoping to find a few extra bodies to help carry the team further in the playoffs than they went last season.
Bengals vs. Cardinals Betting Picks and Predictions
Both of these teams have aspirations well beyond winning the first preseason game of the season.
Especially with Burrow’s guaranteed absence due to his off-season surgery, there is clearly going to be a lot of down-the-liners on the field for Cincinnati Friday night.
However, Arizona also may be reluctant to roll out too many of its high-profile players to try and beat up on the Bengals’ depth chart.
New Offensive System
This game is likely to be a sloppy one with a lot of players trying to learn new offensive systems and having a hard time making plays.
While this game won’t be the prettiest to watch, there will still be a desire on both sides of the ball to put up points.
With Arizona coach Kliff Kingsburg liking to play a high-tempo style, there may be some turnovers that allow the score of this game to go slightly above the total.
Who to Bet On?
While picking a side in this game is difficult because of the lackluster approach many teams take to the preseason these days. Cincinnati will want to give their home fans a chance to be excited and pull out a narrow win to open the preseason.
Final Score Prediction: 21-16
NFL Pick: Bengals -1.5 (-110)
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.