Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals Betting Preview
14 January 2023
With the new NFL Playoff format, there is a chance that division rivals are able to meet up in the Wild Card round. That is the case on Sunday night as it is the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Baltimore Ravens in a battle of AFC North teams.
Baltimore finished the regular season with a record of 10-7 to qualify for the playoffs in the AFC, but they went just 1-3 in their final four games. The Ravens have dealt with a ton of adversity this season, but they now get a chance to play in meaningful games.
Cincinnati won the AFC North Division title this season with a record of 12-4. The Bengals won the AFC a season ago and are looking to go on another run to get back to the Super Bowl.
The Cincinnati Bengals are 6.5-point betting favorites over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night in NFL Playoff action.
Ravens Looking to Run
The Baltimore Ravens averaged 160 rushing yards per game during the regular season, and that is how they will attack the Bengals in this game. Baltimore will be without their best runner as quarterback Lamar Jackson is out of this game with an injury.
It’s unclear who will be under center for the Ravens in this game but don’t expect them to try and throw the ball a ton. The Ravens have to slow down the pace in this game, and keeping the ball on the ground is the best way to get that done.
Baltimore is also going to have to get stops in this game, and that defense held opponents to just 18.5 points per game.
Bengals Winning Through the Air
The Cincinnati Bengals scored over 26 points per game this season, and they do most of their damage through the air. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for nearly 4,500 yards during the regular season, and he seemed to get better as the year rolled along.
Running back Joe Mixon had just 814 rushing yards this season, but he is capable of taking over a game. The Bengals want to throw the ball, but he can put a game away if they are able to get an early lead in this one.
Cincinnati is a team that will give up some big plays, but the defense has proven that they are good enough to win big games in the postseason.
Ravens Battle in Loss to Bengals
Playing without Lamar Jackson is a huge blow to the Ravens, but this is still a team that knows how to win big games. Baltimore can run the football with the best teams in the league, and they are going to use that rushing game to stay in this one.
At some point, the passing attack of the Bengals is going to take control of this matchup, as Joe Burrow is just terrific in the playoffs. It’s not going to be easy for Cincinnati, but they are going to find just enough offense to pick up a win in this one.
Take the 6.5 points and bet on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, but it will be the Cincinnati Bengals that pick up the win and advance to the next round.
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All Media on this page by Associated Press.
