NFL Wild Card Weekend: Ravens vs Bengals Betting Preview
The Wilding Cincy Attack
This NFL Wild Card matchup features an NFL Week 18 rematch between AFC North rivals the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Sunday Night Football. The Bengals won that meeting resoundingly to clinch the division title and the No. 3 seed in the AFC. And true to form, they’re expected to win again according to the bookmakers as we look at the latest Ravens vs Bengals Betting Preview.
The Bengals are priced as the -420 (bet $420 to win $100) home favorites on the NFL moneyline, up from an opening -250 at the start of the week. This is compared to the Ravens, who opened as the +190 underdogs before moving into longshot terrain as the +330 (bet $100 to win $330) underdog.
Cincinnati is pegged as the -9-point home chalk, up from an opening -5½ across the sportsbook betting exchange. Whereas the total is projected to 40½ points, down from an opening 44½ on Sunday.
Read on as we breakdown this NFL injury reports and offer up free expert betting advice for your consideration.
Cincinnati Bengals:
Date, Time & Streaming:
Location: Paycor Stadium
Why the NFL Odds Moved?
There was never any doubt about where favor would fall in this matchup. Cincinnati is the hottest NFL playoffs. As such, they quite rightly opened as the firm home favorites.
The market moved further in favor of Cincinnati midweek, when Baltimore’s quarterback quandary began to look dire and exceedingly insurmountable. Pittsburgh Steelers. Backup Tyler Huntley also has injury concerns after missing Week 18 versus the Bengals due to injuries to his shoulder and wrist.
‘Not surprisingly, the markets reacted to this discouraging news, as did bettors, forcing the NFL odds and lines to go on the move.’
Ravens, a Longshot Punt
Third-string quarterback and rookie Anthony Brown started in Week 18 versus the Bengals, but he was largely ineffective in the lopsided 27-16 loss. Brown threw two interceptions and zero touchdowns while completing just 43.2 % of his es as he went 19 of 44 for 286 ing yards.
As things currently stand, Brown could be looking at his second straight start for Baltimore. But the stakes couldn’t be any higher with the Ravens’ playoff hopes on the line.
Ideally, coach John Harbaugh would love to have his No. 1 QB available for this game. But Jackson faces an uphill battle to play on Sunday according to multiple NFL insiders. Besides, will Jackson be competitive without any games under his belt since early December?
Since Jackson’s injury, the Ravens have averaged a paltry 12.5 points per game while going 2-3-0 straight up behind Huntley and Brown combined. Amazingly, it’s only the second lowest tally of points during the five-game stretch. The New York Jets with 11.0 ppg have the dubious honor of being the worst in the same period.
Huntley has yet to be ruled out. But again, the Ravens’ chances aren’t going to be that much better with the second-stringer in the eyes of oddsmakers. That was evinced by the Ravens vs Bengals Betting Preview at open doors.
Bengals, The Team To Beat
The Bengals are the team to beat, no doubt about it. When it comes to form, Cincinnati leads the NFL league with an eight-game winning streak down the stretch. When it comes to betting, they’re the second-best team against the spread with a 12-4-0 ATS record and a 6.0 winning margin on average.
The Bengals didn’t exactly light it up against the Ravens in Week 18, seemingly taking the foot off the pedal after taking the 24-10 lead in the first half.
However, the stakes will be much higher in this rematch as they look to underscore their favoritism according to the NFL betting odds.
Of all the AFC contenders, the Bengals appear to be the most dangerous team in the field. The team that nobody wants to play. So long as Joe Burrow and Co. are in fine form, they should have their way with a Ravens defense that is seventh-worst against the .
Ravens vs Bengals Betting Prediction
Baltimore would love to have Jackson starting this Sunday, but there’s no guarantee of the fifth-year signal caller’s fitness and form being up to scratch if he does get the nod. Let’s face it, he’s not seen competitive play in over a month. And the last game Baltimore won behind its No. 1 starter was on November 20 when he led the Ravens to a 13-3 win over the Carolina Panthers that left much to be desired.
All told, no matter which quarterback trots out in front of the Ravens, it’s going to be a big ask for John Harbaugh’s side to win this game on the road – make no mistake about it. The Bengals are positively the team to beat and a smart bet for NFL picks to win straight up.
As far as covering the spread, nine points is a lot to lay under most circumstances. But given the fact that the Bengals beat the Ravens by 11 points despite not playing at their full potential in Week 18. Don’t be surprised if they crush this spread on NFL sunday night with an exclamation point.
| Last Updated: 1/12/2023 | Teams |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Ravens +330 | Bengals -420 |
| Spread: | Bengals -9 (Ev) |
| Total: | O40½ (-110) | U40½ (-110) |
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