Revenge Game Betting Week 2: Andy Dalton Faces The Bengals, Who Cut Him In 2020

Not to toot my own horn but I absolutely nailed my first go at this in Week 1. Think about the exact opposite of when the entire company bet on Joey Gallo in the Home Run Derby for Megan Makin Money's first bet and he lost in the first round. I came out of the gates with this blog series like I just got Lasik Eye Surgery and was looking at the board with 20/20 vision. Darnold had 234 yards passing, a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown, and the Panthers were up 16-0 by HALFTIME. If he would've thrown it instead of running it from 5 yards out, I'd have cashed all three by halftime and people would've been calling me the Oracle of Ohio. But alas, Darnold used his legs instead and the plus money bet never hit in the 2nd half. I'll take a positive number after Week 1 though.

Week 1 Revenge Games: 2-1 (+.79 units)

For those that missed it last week, this blog will focus on Narrative Betting, which will showcase storylines and players that may have an extra added motivation in a specific week to perform. It's very simple, really. It's just like going through a bad breakup and then seeing your ex out at the bars or club. What do you do? Maybe take a couple extra shots? Maybe try to flirt with some good looking women? Try and make them a little jealous. Regardless of what your response is, the fact of the matter is that you give a little "extra" in a situation like that. It's human nature to try harder to show you are better off now without them -- and that's my point of these blogs. 

My hypothesis is that NFL players, and all athletes really, have the ability turn it up a notch when they want to. So we will be discussing anything from revenge games to reunions to past fights and everything in between. And after quite possibly the easiest Revenge Game bets in NFL history in Week 1, we come into Week 2 red hot.....emphasis on the RED.

Nam Y Huh. Shutterstock Images.

That's right folks. We've got an Andy Dalton Revenge Game in Chicago today.

Andy Dalton's time in Cincinnati was interesting to say the least. I mean, he led the Bengals to 5 straight playoff appearances. The Bengals! How could they not love him? But he never once advanced past the Wild Card round. Then when things started to head south in 2018, with the Bengals finishing 6-10, people started criticizing Dalton and calling for a change. After an 0-8 start in 2019, Zac Taylor benched Dalton for rookie Ryan Finley. Cincy finished 2-14 that year, drafted Joe Burrow, cut Andy Dalton, and the rest is history.

Cut by the Bengals. Plays the Bengals today. A Bengals team that gave up 336 passing yards last week vs vs the Vikings, ranking them 29th in the league coming into Week 2. They gave up 241.2 per game last season, with it rising to 259.9 per game on the road.

Now let me teach you guys a little something about Math. Whether it's 336,  241, or 260……those are all greater than 212.5, which is Daltons Over/Under on the Barstool Sportsbook App today. Oh, and the Bengals are still going to be without their starting corner. 

Now obviously the ONLY roadblock here today is that Justin Fields will probably continue to increase his workload each game. Last week Dalton threw 38 times, completing 27 for 202 yards. Fields got in and threw 2 passes for 10 yards and had over 2x the QBR that Dalton had. You gotta think that Matt Nagy is going to continue to ease Fields into action, right? Probably. But if the Bears are going to throw the ball nearly 40 times again today, I'm taking Dalton's over on passing yards when it's substantially less than the Bengals defensive average. 

And I'm taking the Bears straight up as well. Dalton gets his revenge at home.

Other Notable Revenge Games Today:

Tyrod Taylor @ Cleveland

Patrick Peterson @ Arizona