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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs (9). Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Week 5: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Arizona Cardinals betting picks, preview

By Griffin Carroll | Last updated 10/5/23

Just as we all expected in Week 5: The Arizona Cardinals would be playing better football than the Cincinnati Bengals. What is going wrong in Cincy and is there any hope here?

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Arizona Cardinals: Betting Odds

Spread: Cincinnati -3, Over/under: 44.5 points, Cincinnati -162 | Arizona +136

Cincinnati has dropped to a surprising 1-3 on the year, with their latest defeat a 27-3 bludgeoning at the hands of the Titans. Tennessee had one of the NFL's worst secondaries and and the Bengals still couldn't make anything happen. That feels like a major problem here.

As for Arizona, they've looked surprisingly ... competent. Count me in the bucket of people who were fading the Cardinals heading into this season, but they've played teams tough. Now yes, sure, they just lost the 49ers 35-16, but they were down only five heading into the fourth.

Arizona beat the Cowboys by 12 and lost to the Giants and Commanders by a combined seven points. Joshua Dobbs has actually looked pretty good at quarterback; this team might not be as bad as we thought.

The Bengals are 0-3-1 ATS while the Cardinals are 3-1. Arizona is also 3-1 to the over, while Cincinnati is only 1-3.

Betting Picks for Cincinnati vs. Arizona

Arizona +3 (-118 DraftKings)

The Bengals' issues seem to all stem from Joe Burrow's calf injury he suffered this summer. While Burrow is on record saying it hasn't affected his throwing ability, he admits that it has altered his ability to move around in the pocket and extend plays.

Guess what? That's kind of an important trait to possess in the NFL. The Titans just put out the blueprint for how to stop this Cincinnati offense: blitz the hell out of Burrow and give him no time to let his pass-catchers make plays.

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Tack on that Tee Higgins isn't expected to play, and Arizona's job is a bit easier on the defensive end. If Jonathan Gannon doesn't blitz Burrow, then we can go back to making fun of him, but it's clear as day what the Cardinals need to do. If they do, this game should stay close.

I truly cannot believe I'm sitting here recommending the Cardinals covering a tight spread over the Bengals, but that's where we are.

Check out Yardbarker's betting hub for more previews, predictions, news and analysis.

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