The Super Wild Card Weekend Sunday card features a pair of AFC North teams when the 10-7 Baltimore Ravens meet the 12-4 Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kick-off is set for 8:25 pm, and the Bengals are -8.5 favorites.
To get the best odds on this game, you should check out our comparison of Maryland betting apps.
Ravens vs. Bengals Prediction
The Cincinnati Bengals are a -8.5 favorite, and we suggest playing the Bengals at -8.5 (-105) at FanDuel MD.
The sides split their season series and the 3rd meeting of the season comes just one week after their last meeting. Cincinnati won their season finale over Baltimore 27-16 but failed to cover as -11.5 point favorites.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson didn’t suit up in Week 18, and he will likely miss his 6th consecutive contest with a knee injury. QB2 Tyler Huntley also missed Week 18, and he’s listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. QB3 Anthony Brown threw for 286 yards but committed three turnovers, and he’ll likely make a start if Jackson and Huntley don’t suit up.
Jackson is the key to the Ravens’ offensive success, but Baltimore struggles without him in the lineup. The Ravens have scored 65 points over their past five, and they won’t win this contest against Joe Burrow and the high-powered Cincinnati offense by scoring only 16 points.
Baltimore should see a return of RB J.K. Dobbins, which should help move the ball. Dobbins missed nine games this season due to various maladies but scampered for 100+ yards in three of his previous five games and should be the focal point for the Ravens’ offense.
Baltimore lacks a big-play receiver; without Jackson’s scrambling ability, the Ravens’ offense doesn’t score the football. TE Mark Andrews leads the team with five receiving TDs but hasn’t seen the end zone in his past nine contests. TE Isiah Likely had a huge game last week, and newly signed WR Sammy Watkins caught a pair of passes for 79 yards last week.
That won’t work against Cincinnati. The Bengals’ defense ranks 11 in defensive DVOA and is better against the pass than the run. Baltimore rushed for 110 yards last week, and they’ll need all that Dobbins and whoever plays at QB to perform above expectations to beat Cincinnati.
Cincinnati has been on fire. The Bengals have won eight straight and are 7-0-1 ATS during that stretch. Cincinnati has the 7th best scoring offense in the league, with a defense allowing the 6th fewest points per game.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow has all the tools he needs to defeat Baltimore. Burrow has thrown 37 TD passes, and WR Ja’Marr Chase accounted for 25% of them. WRs Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd have combined for a dozen receiving TDs, and several Bengals have caught at least two TD passes.
Baltimore has a terrific defense, but they aren’t going to stop Burrow, and the Bengals’ aeriel show will be on full display Sunday. The Ravens are 26th in passing defense, and Sunday will be an excellent opportunity for the Bengals to make a statement, and they will. Look for Bengals RB Joe Mixon to outperform his Week 18, 27 rushing yard total, which should set up the passing game, which Baltimore won’t stop. Cincinnati is 12-3-1 ATS this season and 6-1 ATS at Paycor Stadium, and they should cover the -8.5 points.
Best Ravens vs. Bengals Prop Bets
The sportsbooks offer a robust prop betting market, and sports betting analyst Phil Naessens has three prop bets to consider for Sunday.
Joe Burrow Over 265.5 passing yards -114 (FanDuel)
Burrow has slung it for 265.5 yards or more twice over his past five, but this is a big game, and we can expect the Bengals signal-caller to have a statement game against Baltimore. Burrow won’t have to deal with the elements as the weather report calls for no rain and low wind with temperatures around 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Baltimore allows the 26th most passing yards in the league, and Burrow passing for Over 265.5 yards is a good prop bet to make.
Ja’Marr Chase Over 74.5 receiving yards -114 (FanDuel)
Chase has hauled in 74.5 receiving yards or more in four of his last five and has eclipsed the oddsmakers’ 74.5-yard total in eight of his 12 games this season. Baltimore ranks 11th in passing DVOA, but Chase has 60 targets over his past five and averages 87.5 receiving yards per game. This is a good prop bet to make.
Ja’Marr Chase Any Time TD scorer +105 (FanDuel)
If Chase has a big day as expected of him, we should also highly consider the +105 Anytime TD scorer prop at FanDuel. Chase has found the end zone in three of his last four games, leads the Bengals with nine TDs, and faces a Ravens defense allowing 1.2 TD receptions per contest. Chase finding the end zone Sunday is a good bet to make.
