The Cincinnati Bengals have made the playoffs in each of the last five seasons, but if they don’t get themselves pointed in the right direction, they are going to be left out in the cold. They have a 2-4 record at the moment, and so they will try to inch closer to the .500 mark against probably the best opponent available to do so with, as the Cleveland Browns, the NFL’s only winless team, come to town. This game will begin at 1 PM ET at Paul Brown Stadium, and BetAnySports customers will have the opportunity, even after the opening kickoff, to challenge the NFL odds in real time through the facilities of Live Betting Ultra.

Really, the Bengals looked like they didn’t even show up two weeks ago when they lost 28-14 to the Dallas Cowboys, in a game that was not nearly as close as the score indicated. They were down 28-0 at one point, and the Cowboys, behind a rookie quarterback (Dak Prescott), coasted the rest of the way. Then they encountered Tom Brady last week, and the New England Patriots’ quarterback threw for 376 yards against them. Three of their four defeats have been by double-digits, so you just know they are looking for someone to take their frustrations out on.

Is Cleveland a good candidate for that? Well, like Dallas, they are throwing a rather inexperienced quarterback into the breech in Cody Kessler, but this kid is coming along a bit, to the satisfaction of first-year head coach Hue Jackson. He had 336 yards passing last week against Tennessee, and he has completed 66% thus far.

In the NFL odds that have been posted on this game by the people at BetAnySports, Cincinnati is a considerable favorite at home:

Cincinnati Bengals -9.5

Cleveland Browns +9.5

Over 45.5 points -110

Under 45.5 points -110

One of the things that Cleveland has to do to give themselves a chance in this game is to get running back Isaiah Crowell more involved. He had only 16 yards last week against Tennessee, but on the season he is at 432 yards and 5.2 per carry. This is the guy that will provide some balance for them, if they let it happen.

Unfortunately for this team, they are dogged by big questions in the secondary. Joe Haden’s absence has been a real problem for them, although he hopes to play Sunday. That might be good news, as he is by far the best defensive back they have. This is not a good secondary at all, and the guy who was their best healthy player, safety Jordan Poyer, is now out of action with a lacerated kidney. They are allowing eight yards per passing attempt. So what are they going to do? That is something BetAnySports patrons should be asking themselves.

It would help if they can get some more pressure on the passer. Andy Dalton has been sacked 19 times already, and he was dumped only 20 times all of last season. No formula at all worked for the Browns in their two meetings against the Bengals last season, as they totaled only 137 yards on the ground in losing by scores of 31-10 and 37-3.

Nonetheless, there have been some bright spots. Jackson has said he is ready to open up more of the playbook for Kessler, and you have to come away at least a little impressed with Terrelle Pryor, the quarterback-turned-wide receiver who is now 8th in the AFC with 33 catches. The Browns anxiously await the return of the injured rookie, Corey Coleman, because they think they might have a pretty good set of receivers at that point. Cleveland’s offensive line has to keep Kessler’s uniform clean, however. He suffered six sacks last week, and that represents a lousy effort out of the people who are trying to protect him. No excuses, because All-Pro Joe Thomas is one of them.

BetAnySports has all you need to make your football betting a pleasurable experience, including reduced juice, which allows you to avoid laying the customary -110. Also, you can remain in the action even after the opening kickoff with Live Betting Ultra…… They make it convenient with various payment options, which include your Visa card, person-to-person transfers and the virtual currency of Bitcoin!