There’s no need to break the bank on the over with all the NFL teams. Buy into the under with these three NFL teams
this season.
Denver Broncos, over/under 10
The trust in quarterback Peyton Manning is wearing off. Manning looked tired and worn out toward the end of last season, and prognosticators shouldn’t expect anything different this season. The Broncos are breaking in a new offensive line, making it even more likely that Manning will struggle to stay healthy.
The Broncos do get a break with having to play AFC West teams, but match-ups in November and December against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, San Diego, New England, Indianapolis and Green Bay don’t generate much optimism.
Cincinnati Bengals, over/under 8.5
It feels like Cincinnati is stuck in neutral.
The Bengals have been to the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, but it doesn’t feel like Cincinnati is getting better, while other division rivals like Pittsburgh and Baltimore are improving.
Quarterback Andy Dalton also will have plenty of pressure on him during his fifth year. He hasn’t looked good in the preseason (it’s still preseason, so we won’t ding him too much on that), so there should be a few question marks on him entering this season.
And the defense isn’t what it used to be. At some point the Bengals needed to take a step forward in the past four seasons. They haven’t, and don’t be shocked if Cincinnati fails to win nine games this year.
Detroit Lions, over/under 8
Detroit’s defense took a hit with the loss of Ndamukong Suh, and the Lions will feel that absence this season.
Detroit relied on its defense last season to reach the playoffs, That won’t be the case this season as quarterback Matthew Stafford must be better.
Stafford was far too conservative last season. If that happens this season, the Lions are in trouble.
Also, take a look at the early season schedule for the Lions. Detroit must play on the road against San Diego, Minnesota and Seattle, while hosting Denver and Arizona in the first five weeks.
Ouch.
The Lions aren’t a team to come back from adversity. They’ve shown that in the past, and if they don’t get off to a good start this season, it could snowball from there, especially with two match-ups with Green Bay looming after the brutal stretch in the beginning.
