Dan Hoard predicts a close one for the Bengals

Dan Hoard was a guest on The Monday Morning Quarterback Show with Chick Ludwig Monday morning on Cincinnati's Fox Sports 1360. He calls each game with Dave Lapham for the Bengals Radio Network. Naturally, Hoard was asked to predict a winner for tonight's game against the Steelers.

Hoard went with the Bengals responding: "Cincinnati 24 to 21." However, he doesn't think win number one will come easy for the Bengals.

"I think people that think it's going to be a lopsided Bengals win are nuts," Hoard said. "If you watched that Steelers game last week, you see a loss at home to Tennessee where they didn't score a touchdown until the last 90-seconds. But, the defense is still terrific. They gave up 229 yards last week. Last year they led the NFL by giving up 278 per game. I don't think the Steelers can run so they can't be what they want to be in their heart-of-hearts, but I still think that defense is good enough to keep it close and I think the Bengals pull it out by three."

It should be an electric atmosphere tonight at Paul Brown Stadium in what should shape up to be a great game between two division rivals.