Cincinnati Bengals vs. Arizona Cardinals Prediction: Is Charlie Wright?
Is Charlie Wright? explores one NFL bet each week based on a major decision point. Ideally, this article will lay out a case for the bet in a thorough manner, giving the reader the opportunity to either agree with the perspective and tail the bet or disagree with the breakdown and fade the pick.
Was Charlie Wright?
Nope! Cleveland was thoroughly dominated on both sides of the ball. The thesis was the Browns’ defense could overcome their offense, so Deshaun Watson being out was kind of the perfect test. Dorian Thompson-Robinson and company certainly didn’t do the defense any favors, but they struggled to limit Lamar Jackson throughout the game.
Nailed both of the prop picks again. Got a little lucky with Mike Evans leaving early, he had a good shot to go over his receiving prop if he played the whole game.
How about the public?
3-0 start for
Chuck_Wright5</a>. Can he stay perfect this week? <br><br>Week 4 article: <a href="https://t.co/uMf7onGcrr">https://t.co/uMf7onGcrr</a><br><br>Is Charlie Wright?</p>— RotoGrinders (RotoGrinders) September 28, 2023
Tough one. The public falls back to .500.
Records after Week 3
- Charlie: 3-1
- Prop Picks: 6-2
- The Public: 2-2
Week 5 Pick: Cardinals +3 (-110 on Fanatics)
Reason: Front offices tank, players and coach don’t tank.
Guess who doesn’t care about getting Caleb Williams? Joshua Dobbs. And the rest of the players and coaches fighting for their roster spots/jobs/careers. The Cardinals are feisty, and they’re catching the Bengals at the perfect time.
Dobbs has been legitimately good for Arizona, ranking 6th in completion rate and 9th in EPA per play. He’s been dynamic as a scrambler, ranking 4th in rushing yards among quarterbacks. The Cardinals have also taken care of the ball, with just two turnovers.
The defense has been a problem after being stripped down in the offseason. That’s where the front office can tip the scales when it comes to tanking. Arizona is bottom 10 in both passing and rushing yards allowed per game. They’re 25th in points allowed (25.5 PPG).
Cincinnati might be the remedy for a struggling defense. The Bengals are 31st in scoring and dead last in yards per game. Joe Burrow has posted a career-low 57.6% completion rate and a dreadful 2:2 TD:INT ratio. He’s just not healthy right now, but at 1-3, it’s not like the Bengals can afford to rest him for a few games.
Tee Higgins might miss this one after breaking a rib last week, another blow to this struggling offense. Arizona being home underdogs against the current iteration of Cincinnati just feels off.
PICK: Cardinals +3 (-110 on Fanatics Sportsbook)
NFL Player Props for Week 5
Zach Wilson Over 207.5 Passing Yards (-114 on FanDuel)
I get it. Not the most comfortable bet. But Wilson looked decent last week and Denver has been an elite matchup for quarterbacks. Justin Fields had thrown for 526 yards through three games, then put up 335 on this unit. Justin. Fields. Jets are slight underdogs too, so game script shouldn’t be an issue.
Brandon Aiyuk Over 53.5 Receiving Yards (-129 on Caesars)
Aiyuk’s 85% catch rate is probably unsustainable, but he’s been impressive over three games. He has 6+ targets in each healthy contest (missed Week 3) and exploded for 148 yards against Arizona. Notably, Deebo Samuel came into that game with multiple injuries. Whenever one of San Francisco’s weapons is limited/out, it boosts the other players. Coach Kyle Shanahan called Samuel “day-to-day” this week, which suggests he still isn’t fully healthy. Aiyuk should be Brock Purdy’s top target once again.
Not in a legal sports betting state? Use your Sleeper promo code to make player predictions with a $100 sign-up bonus this week!