Jostling For Playoff Position, Colts Visit Bengals

Andrew Luck and the Colts can secure the AFC South title on Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts visit the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday in a game between teams jostling for playoff position.

Kickoff at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.

Both Indianapolis (8-4, 4-2 road) and Cincinnati (8-4, 5-0 home) look to have done enough this season to emerge as champion of their respective divisions. The Colts can lock up the AFC South with one more win or a Tennessee Titans loss, while the Bengals’ destiny is in their own hands.

But entering the playoffs as division champion won’t be enough this season. With the Kansas City Chiefs one win from securing a wild card berth, avoiding the Chiefs in the first round might be on the agenda for both teams.

In order to avoid the Chiefs, the Colts and Bengals either need to finish in the second or third berth, presuming the Denver Broncos take the No. 1 seed as you would expect at this point. They currently occupy third and fourth respectively, which is good news for the Colts and not so good news for the Bengals.

Of course, all of that could change with Sunday’s result, which will give both teams a little extra incentive to win in southern Ohio.

The Colts enter the game having flip-flopped wins and losses over the past five weeks. Last week, Chuck Pagano’s side got the better of divisional rivals the Tennessee Titans, moving to 4-0 within the division.

Indianapolis is just 4-4 outside of AFC South play, including 2-2 against opponents from other AFC divisions. One of those wins famously came against the Broncos, the performance of which the Colts would love to replicate against the Bengals.

Cincinnati rebounded from a pair of overtime losses with wins over the Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers. Were it not for those overtime losses (to the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens) in Week 9 and 10, the Bengals would be 10-2 and practically assured of a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

The Bengals have an enviable schedule down the stretch. As it stands, Sunday’s game is the only time the team will meet an opponent with an above .500 record, although the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers will be tough outs.

Colts running back Donald Brown will make his second start as Trent Richardson, said to be humbled by his demotion, will start on the sidelines. Receiver T.Y. Hilton is listed as probable with a shoulder injury. The Colts are also banged up on the offensive line, which doesn’t bode well for quarterback Andrew Luck, who has been sacked 29 times on the season.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals odds for 12/08/2013

Indianapolis (+205) opened as an underdog to Cincinnati (-245) on the moneyline.

Cincinnati emerged victorious the last time the two sides met, back in 2011 when the Colts were without Peyton Manning. That result snapped the Colts’ seven-game winning streak over the Bengals, which itself was part of a longer stretch that saw 12 wins in 15 games.

The Colts are 17-9 all-time against the Bengals.

The spread opened at 5.5 but has subsequently risen to 7. Cincinnati (7-4-1 ATS) and Indianapolis (7-5-0 ATS) have posted similar records against the spread. Both have covered the spread in four of their last six games.

Indianapolis is 6-2-0 ATS in its last eight visits to Cincinnati.

The over/under opened at 44.5 and has dropped as low as 42.5, depending which sportsbook you bet with.

Indianapolis (7-5-0) has favored the over this season while Cincinnati (6-6-0) has split the over/under evenly. Last week’s win over Tennessee was the first time in six weeks the Colts saw the total go under.

The total has gone over in five of Indianapolis’ last seven trips to Cincinnati.

Houston coach Gary Kubiak was given his marching orders this week.

Around the AFC South

Believe it or not, the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9) are one of the hottest teams in football. Four wins in five games have lifted the team well and truly out of the NFL’s gloomy cellar.

The Jaguars’ most recent victory came on Thursday Night Football as the team handed the Houston Texans (2-11) a 27-20 defeat at EverBank Field in Jacksonville.

That loss proved costly for Texans’ head coach Gary Kubiak. Having led his team to 11 straight losses and the NFL’s worst record, Kubiak was fired Friday. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will take over head coaching duties on an interim basis.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans (5-7, 3-3 road) travel to the Mile High City on Sunday looking to upset the AFC-leading Denver Broncos (10-2, 6-0 home).

The Titans are still within touching distance of a wild card berth but that could change with a loss on Sunday afternoon (4:05 p.m. ET). But then again, the way the AFC has played out so far this season, the team could still be in contention come Week 17.

Tennessee opened as a 12-point underdog with the total at 49. BettingSports.com has plenty more Tennessee Titans vs. Denver Broncos odds and trends for you to peruse.

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