Battle of Ohio: Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals

BetUS Football Betting Odds: CINCINNATI -3.5, Total 44.5

NOTABLE STAT: Cleveland has averaged 194 yards of offense

KEY NFL FOOTBALL BETTING TREND: Browns have played eight unders in last nine games

Well, somebody from the state of Ohio will come away with a win on Sunday, when the Cincinnati Bengals (0-3 SU, 1-2 ATS) in an AFC North matchup that is set to begin at 1 PM ET at Paul Brown Stadium (artificial turf) in Cincinnati.

In the BetUS NFL football betting odds, the Bengals are listed as a 3.5-point favorite, with a posted total of 44.5 points.

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):

* CLEV has covered 13 of its last 18 games

* CLEV has lost four of its last five games SU

* CLEV has played eight of its last nine games UNDER the total

* CLEV has lost nine of its last 12 road games SU

* CLEV has played six of its last nine road games OVER the total

* CIN is 6-11-1 ATS in its last 18 games

* CIN has lost 15 of its last 22 games SU

* CIN has played seven of its last nine games UNDER the total

* CIN has covered eight of its last 25 home games

* CIN has played five of its last six home games UNDER the total

Also...

* CIN has covered five of the last seven meetings

* CIN has won six of the last seven meetings SU

* Four of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total

* CIN has won four of the last five meetings SU as the home team

What in the world is going on with the Cleveland offense? A team that was so potent last year, and looked like it had so much to look forward to, is now a shambles. Derek Anderson, a guy who came out of nowhere last season to toss 29 touchdown passes and get a Steelers and Ravens the first three weeks, but his execution has been such that replacing him with Brady Quinn is something that is under consideration.

Anderson is not the only guy who is under-performing for the Browns. The wide receivers have been banged up, and those that are healthy, like Braylon Edwards, have not picked up the slack but in fact have dropped the ball. Jamal Lewis, the 29-year-old running back, gives off a mean look but has averaged only 52 yards a game. Syndric Steptoe (6.8 yards/catch) has not taken advantage of his opportunity to start in place of Donte Stallworth.

While very little encouragement can be culled out of Cleveland's 26 total points and 194 yards per game (resulting in a 153-yard average deficit), Cincinnati showed it had something in the tank as it took the Giants to overtime last weekend in the Meadowlands. Carson Palmer threw for 286 yards, finding T.J. Houshmandzadeh 12 times. Cleveland has recorded only three sacks. If they don't get to Palmer, their secondary, which is vulnerable at best, will fall victim to the Bengals' balance on both sides of the flank. While we can see Palmer's progress leading to something better, the Browns now look to be just a roll of the dice.