Bengals vs Colts MNF Preview

Suddenly the Indianapolis Colts are in trouble. After cruising through most of the regular season Tony Dungy's squad has now lost two straight games. And the Colts will be looking to avoid a three-game skid when they host the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night.

The Bengals are going in the opposite direction - their 27-10 victory over the Oakland Raiders last Sunday was their fourth in a row, and they're currently sitting in one of the AFC's two Wild Card berths. Still, the oddsmakers have set Indianapolis as 3.5-point home favorites in this Monday night matchup, with the game's total listed at a high 54.5.

In order to win, though, the Colts are either going to have to pile up the points or find a way stop the run - two things they were unable to do last weekend against the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars. Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 166 yards and Fred Taylor picked up 131 rushing yards as the Jaguars handily won that game by a score of 44-17.

Peyton Manning went 25-of-50 for 313 yards passing against Jacksonville last weekend, with no touchdowns and one interception. Joseph Addai, in strong contrast to his two Jaguars counterparts, ran for just 22 yards on 11 carries, while Reggie Wayne had eight catches for 110 yards, and Marvin Harrison had six catches for 101 yards. Dominic Rhodes rushed for just 11 yards, but scored a TD. Manning also ran for a score.

That loss dropped Indianapolis to 10-3 on the season, and hurt their chances of earning a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. The Colts are also now a mediocre 7-6 against-the-spread in 2006, while they're 4-2 ATS at home and 5-6 ATS as the favored team. Totals bettors have seen Indianapolis go just 6-7 to the OVER through their 13 games.

The Bengals haven't been any more lucrative for OVER bettors this season - they're 6-7 on the OVER/UNDER as well. Cincinnati's win over the Raiders last weekend improved them to 8-5 straight-up in 2006, while they're now 7-5-1 against-the-spread. On the road the Bengals are 4-2 ATS, while they're 2-2 ATS as the underdog team in four contests.

Carson Palmer went 20-of-28 for 297 yards in the Bengals' win over Oakland, throwing two touchdown passes but also getting intercepted three times. Rudi Johnson rushed for 117 yards on 30 carries, and scored twice, while T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught eight balls for 118 yards and picked up a touchdown. Chris Henry also scored a Bengals TD.

Cincinnati and Indianapolis last met in November 2005, with the Colts picking up a 45-37 road victory. Indianapolis was a 5-point favorite in that contest, and just managed to cover the spread. OVER bettors saw the combined score exceed the game's posted total (47.5). The last time the Bengals topped the Colts was back in November of 1997.

Here is the official Week 15 injury report for the Bengals:

Rich Braham C Out Week 15 (Knee)
Kelley Washington WR Out Week 15 (Hamstring)
Levi Jones T Doubtful Week 15 (Knee)
Willie Anderson T Probable Week 15 (Foot)
T.J. Houshmandzadeh WR Probable Week 15 (Back)
Caleb Miller LB Probable Week 15 (Ankle)
Tony Stewart TE Probable Week 15 (Ankle)

Here is the official Week 15 injury report for the Colts:

Dallas Clark TE Out Week 15 (Knee)
Brandon Stokley WR Out Week 15 (Achilles)
Joseph Addai RB Questionable Week 15 (Foot)
Antoine Bethea CB Questionable Week 15 (Shoulder)
Ryan Diem T Questionable Week 15 (Groin)
Nicholas Harper CB Questionable Week 15 (Ankle)
Marlin Jackson CB Questionable Week 15 (Shoulder)
Aaron Moorehead WR Questionable Week 15 (Back)
Dominic Rhodes RB Questionable Week 15 (Wrist)
Bob Sanders S Questionable Week 15 (Knee)

The Colts next play a Week 16 contest on the road against the Houston Texans before finishing out their regular-season schedule at the RCA Dome against the Miami Dolphins. The Bengals play a road game against the Denver Broncos next Sunday, then head back to Paul Brown Stadium for a game versus the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

monday night football - Cincinnati Bengals vs Indianapolis Colts 7:00 PM

Monday Night Football Matchup
Cincinnati Bengals vs Indianapolis Colts
December 18th, 2006 - RCA Dome
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