The Cincinnati Bengals difficult open to the season continues today as they welcome the Green Bay Packers to Paul Brown Stadium. This afternoon's meeting between the Packers and Bengals is scheduled to get underway at 1:00pm ET on FOX. Aaron Rodgers and company are favored in this inter-conference clash at -3 against the spread and -145 on the NFL Odds Week 3 moneyline ($145 wins $100). The total in today's game is set at 49.5 points.

Cincinnati is a couple of bad plays away from being 2-0 on the young season, but it comes into today's game looking to avoid a 1-2 hole.

The Bengals, who dropped their season opener 24-21 to Chicago despite leading the Bears 21-10 midway through the third quarter, evened their record at 1-1 on Monday night with a spread covering 20-10 victory over the fading Steelers.

Cincinnati turned in a statistically dominant performance against its hated division rival, posting 22 first downs, 407 total yards and 127 rush yards in 35:34 minutes of possession time. Pittsburgh finished the games with 14, 278, and 44, respectively.

Green Bay should present the Bengals, and in particular their defense, with a far greater challenge this afternoon. The Packers, who improved to 1-1 on Sunday with a 38-20 destruction of the Steelers at Lambeau Field, rank second in the league in pass yards per game (390.5) and their 10.3 yards per pass average is tops in the NFL.

Aaron Rodgers is, obviously, the force behind Green Bay's potent aerial attack and he has been nothing short of brilliant through two games, throwing for 813 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a ridiculous 127.2 passer rating (second only to Peyton Manning's 131 QBR).

Rodgers play, coupled with the Bengals short rest, has Cincinnati catching three points in today's game. The Bengals play at home last season is probably a small factor as well. Andy Dalton and company were 4-4 at Paul Brown Stadium last season and their four home wins came against clubs that finished the year a combined 21-43.

And there is this little nugget in regard to the Bengals recent performance following a meeting with the Steelers. Since 2004, Cincinnati is 0-7 straight up and 1-5-1 against the spread when playing as an underdog after playing Pittsburgh the previous week.

Packers vs Bengals NFL Odds Week 3:

Green Bay Packers -3 (+100), Over 49.5 (-110), -145 (Moneyline)

Cincinnati Bengals +3 (-120), Under 49.5 (-110), +125 (Moneyline)

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