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PLAYING FOOTBALL
Finding favor with BengalsCincinnati gets call for a changeHalfway through the NFL season, the against-the-pointspread standings are pretty much what you would expect. Kansas City, Minnesota, New England, and Tennessee are either on top of their divisions or near it, and they are doing splendidly in beating the betting number as well. The Chiefs are 7-1, the Vikings 6-1, the Patriots 6-1-1, the Titans 6-2.
Next in line, however, comes Cincinnati, tied with Dallas, Indianapolis, and Miami at 5-2 against the spread. The Bengals are just 3-4 straight up. Conversely, Carolina is 6-1 atop the NFC South but only 4-3 in wagering circles, while Seattle is 5-2 but only 2-4-1 against the number. The plays Jacksonville at Baltimore -- Ravens favored by 7. This is a great spot for Brian Billick's club, already atop the AFC North, to go 5-3. Take Baltimore for $100. Indianapolis at Miami -- Dolphins favored by 3. For the Fish to fly, the defense must carry the day, as always, and that's a tall order against the Colts. Take Miami for $50. New York Giants at New York Jets -- Giants favored by 2 1/2. The number seems low. The Giants defeated previously unbeaten Minnesota by 12 points. They're 3-4 even though they're the best team in the NFC East. Take the Giants for $250. Washington at Dallas -- Cowboys favored by 4. Dallas's losing performance at Tampa Bay wasn't as bad as Bill Parcells would have you believe. Take Dallas for $50. Pittsburgh at Seattle -- Seahawks favored by 4 1/2. Never thought I'd see the Steelers' performance on the offensive and defensive lines be so disappointing. Take Seattle for $50. St. Louis at San Francisco -- Rams favored by 3. St. Louis, looking better with every outing, is getting Marshall Faulk back. Take St. Louis for $100. Green Bay at Minnesota -- Vikings favored by 4 1/2. If Minnesota's offensive line gets back to knocking people down like it did the first five weeks, the Vikings will win. Take Minnesota for $50. Cincinnati at Arizona -- Bengals favored by 3. Bengals favored on the road? It's a miracle. Take Arizona for $10. Philadelphia at Atlanta -- Eagles favored by 4 1/2. Atlanta's awful. Take Philadelphia for $10. New England at Denver -- Broncos favored by 2. There's no way the Patriots should be 6-2. Must be the coaching on defense. Take New England for $10. Last week: New England, giving 5 1/2, defeated Cleveland, 9-3, plus $50; Baltimore, giving 1 1/2, defeated Denver, 26-6, plus $50; Pittsburgh, giving 1 1/2, lost to St. Louis, 33-21, minus $110; Cincinnati, getting 1 1/2, defeated Seattle, 27-24, plus $50; Minnesota, giving 5 1/2, lost to New York Giants, 29-17, minus $110; Jacksonville, getting 3 1/2, lost to Tennessee, 30-17, minus $55; Tampa Bay, giving 6 1/2, defeated Dallas, 16-0, plus $100; Kansas City, giving 6 1/2, defeated Buffalo, 38-5, plus $100; Miami, giving 3 1/2, defeated San Diego, 26-10, plus $50. Net for week -- plus $125. Net for season -- minus $981. © Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.
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