Football fans north of the United States border have long adored the local flavor that is the high-scoring punt-fest known only as the CFL. The Canadian Football League odds for Over/Under betting reside almost exclusively in the 50-something range and for fans and bettors alike, most games usually generate a lot of excitement, a ton of points and an almost ridiculous number of punts.

Totals in the NFL are normally a much tamer beast, with greater respect paid towards defense and strategy. The average posted ‘total’ when the books closed on Week 1 was 39.9 and in Week 2 it was just a shade higher at 40.7.

But then Cincinnati and Seattle had to go and throw the grade out of whack in Week 3 with what coach Steve Mariucci would probably label as a 50-Burger.

It is true that Qwest Field in Washington State, where the Seahawks play their home games, is situated less than 100 miles from the Canadian border, but the 50 that was hanging on last Sunday’s game still seemed a bit out of place.

The Bengals and Hawks ended up staying under the number but in Week 4 Cinci are hosting the New England Patriots, an offensive dynamo that is currently outpacing the Seahawks by a cool 17.4 points per game. And most of you could probably guess what was coming next…

A higher total, of course! More offense means more points, and throw in the fact that the game between the Pats and Bengals is slotted for Monday Night and this could be the highest scoring contest of the year!

But betting totals is never that easy, no matter what anyone tells you, so let’s take a look at some trends for this matchup to see if anything stands out.

- New England has played 8 overs and 1 under in its past nine games overall.
- New England has recorded 6 overs and 1 under when following a game in which they scored 20-plus points.
- New England’s last 19 games on turf have produced 15 overs and 4 unders.
- Cincinnati has a record of 6 overs and 1 under the last seven games when hosting a team from the AFC East.
- The Patriots and Bengals have played 3 overs in a row since 1994 and the past three matchups between these teams in Cinci have all gone over the total.

Yikes, maybe this game will be a barnburner.

Judging by the early money, this game will probably be the highest posted total of this young season by kickoff. And if the scoring does climb into the stratosphere, who knows where the numbers could be headed?

- In Week 5, Cinci gets a bye and New England is at Cleveland. The Browns had 51 points in their Week 2 win over Cinci but Cleveland also had a big day against the Bengals in 2004, scoring 48 points. It took Cleveland 33 games before they could break 30 again, so we won’t look for any records in this contest.

But how `bout dem Cowboys?
 
Dallas is currently the highest scoring offense in the league and in Week 6 they will be at home, just coming off a game against the battered Buffalo Bills defense. It could be a really good day for scoring in Texas.

Be sure to check the lines early and often at SPORTSBETTING.COM when betting on totals as they tend to move very quickly at this time of year. Weather is not much of an issue and the oddsmakers are still assessing each team’s capabilities.

If you like an “Over” bet, buying early in the week is usually a good idea for the simple fact that the majority of other bettors like them, too. Sometimes just a half-point can be the difference in a winning weekend.

No matter what your style, good luck in the days ahead and enjoy the games.

You can check out all the football lines and wagering options at SPORTSBETTING.COM