If the Cincinnati Bengals thought that defending their AFC North championship was going to be easy, they should have thought again. Perhaps this was unexpected, but this team has lost two of its first three games and so they are not operating with a full head of steam at the moment. On Thursday night they will play host to the Miami Dolphins in the showcase NFL game that is scheduled to begin at 8:25 PM ET at Paul Brown Stadium on NFL Network. BetAnySports customers will have the opportunity, even after the opening kickoff, to challenge the NFL odds as they use the state-of-the-art software provided through Live Betting Ultra.

Cincinnati got by in the first game against the New York Jets just barely. Then they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos, and the latter defeat was particularly galling because of the fact that the virtual newcomer quarterback, Denver's Trevor Siemian, threw four touchdown passes against them.

The Dolphins' season is something you can look at one of two ways – they have, in some respects, played well enough to be 2-1 or even 3-0. Then again, they could easily be 0-3. Last week they had a first-time starter at quarterback going up against them, but still needed overtime to get by Cody Kessler and the Cleveland Browns.

In the NFL odds that have been posted on this Thursday night game by the people at BetAnySports, the Bengals are the favorites:

Miami Dolphins +7 (-105)
Cincinnati Bengals -7 (-115)

Over 44.5 points -110
Under 44.5 points -110

For the Dolphins, this season marks the first year for head coach Adam Gase, and of course one of his pet projects has to be the further development of quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Since Tannehill has become the starter in Miami, he has been sacked more than anyone in the National Football League. And you have to wonder whether he is ever going to stop making the mental mistakes. But a couple of his errors from last week really can't be pointed sharply toward him.

It was a breakdown in protection on the part of right tackle Ju'Waun James, as he allowed one strip sack that gave Cleveland a chance to win the game right before the end of regulation, and earlier had allowed a pass rusher go through virtually unabated, hitting Tannehill as he was throwing, in a play that resulted in an interception. James was benched by Gase for the overtime, and that was a rather unusual move. But things turned out okay, because Jay Ajayi, one of a number of Miami running backs appearing in place of Arian Foster, scored an 11-yard touchdown followingt a big reception by Jarvis Landry. Ajayi he had been in Gase's doghouse, because of attitude problems and general non-production, having been left off the team flight before the opener in Seattle. But they're going to have to count on him, most likely, once again, as Foster is listed as doubtful with a groin injury.

BetAnySports patrons see that the Dolphins got lucky as Cleveland missed three field goals, or the result might have been different. Tannehill was 25 of 39 for 319 yards and two interceptions, and after the game he remarked that his team probably did not deserve to win.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati allowed a six-round draft choice who had started only two NFL games previously to go eleven of 12 in the critical fourth-quarter last weekend. To their credit, however, they got their running game going against the stout Denver defense, chalking up 143 yards. But while the offensive line was opening up holes, they continued with their poor pass protection. Quarterback Andy Dalton has been sacked a dozen times, and that just can't be allowed to persist.

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