Colts Look For Fifth Straight Win, Host Bengals

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts will look for a statement win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Division leaders meet Sunday as the Indianapolis Colts host the Cincinnati Bengals in a clash of AFC contenders.

Kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium in Downtown Indianapolis is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.

The showdown will provide an opportunity to see how the two contenders measure up against each other, not to mention giving both sides the opportunity to earn a psychological advantage ahead of a potential playoff clash.

The Story So Far

Indianapolis (4-2, 2-1 home) enters the game having won four straight. One more win will mark the longest winning streak in the Andrew Luck era.

After defeats to the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles to open the season, the Colts have emerged as a serious contender.

A 33-28 victory over the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football last week saw Chuck Pagano’s side move to 3-0 in division play, taking a stranglehold of the AFC South in the process.

The Bengals represent a different challenge than the Colts have faced within the division though.

Cincinnati (3-1-1, 1-1 road) has been labelled the most balanced side in the AFC by plenty of critics, and look to be a genuine contender in the AFC North, despite a rocky couple of weeks.

The Bengals were blown out by the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football in Week 5, once more struggling in the limelight of prime time. Last weekend against the Carolina Panthers, Marvin Lewis’ side missed a game-winning field goal in overtime to finish the game in a tie.

Lewis will now look to lead his team back to winning ways against a quality opponent.

The two sides enter the game with a pair of common opponents. Both teams made short work of the Tennessee Titans, winning by 20-plus points. Both teams also own a one-score victory over the Baltimore Ravens. It’ll take Sunday’s game to put some distance between the two sides.

Head-to-Head

The Colts lead the all-time head-to-head series 17-10 and are 9-6 when playing as the home team (either in Indianapolis or Baltimore).

After winning their first three games in The Circle City, the Bengals have lost six straight games to move to 3-6 when playing in Indianapolis. The side from Ohio is 0-2 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Bengals have won the last two meetings between the sides, both of which were played in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati earned a comfortable 42-28 victory the last time the two sides met (Dec. 8, 2013).

Injury Report

Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green missed last week’s tie with Carolina and is listed as doubtful ahead of Sunday’s game.

Meanwhile, linebacker Ray Maualuga (back) and center Mike Pollak (knee) are amongst those Bengals listed as questionable.

Indianapolis continues to be without defensive end Robert Mathis (Achilles) and defensive tackle Arthur Jones (ankle).

Check out the full injury list

A.J. Green is listed as doubtful ahead of Sunday’s clash with the Colts.

Betting Report

Below you’ll find Betting Sports’ breakdown of odds and betting trends.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Indianapolis Colts odds for 10/19/2014

Moneyline: Playing at home, Indianapolis (-165) opened as the favorite over Cincinnati (+145) on the moneyline.

With the Bengals’ historical woes in Indianapolis, the Colts are looking like the smart bet heading into this one, but it’s been Cincinnati that has gotten the better of this matchup in recent years, albeit at Paul Brown Stadium. Could this be the year the Bengals pick up their first win in The Circle City since 1997?

Spread: The spread opened at 3 in favor of the hometown Colts.

Cincinnati (3-2-0 ATS) has just about gotten the best of the spread this season, while Indianapolis (5-1-0 ATS) has obliterated the line.

The Colts are 2-1-0 ATS at home while the Bengals are 1-1-0 ATS on the road.

Cincinnati is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 road games and 2-4-0 ATS in its last six trips to Indianapolis.

Total: The total opened at 49 and has risen slightly.

The Bengals (2-3-0 O/U) have marginally favored the under in the early part of this season, while the Colts (5-1-0 O/U) have heartily preferred the over. The last five Colts’ games have all finished with the over paying out.

The total has gone over in eight of the last 12 head-to-head meetings but bettors should beware: the under has paid out in four of the last five games played between the sides in Indianapolis.

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