Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots Betting Preview

It’s a holiday weekend with plenty at stake in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals visit the New England Patriots at 1 p.m. ET Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, for a Christmas Eve special.

The Bengals (10-4) have won six straight, including three games decided by a touchdown or less, yet cling to a one-game lead in the AFC North. The Patriots (7-7) have lost three of their last four games and are tied with the Jets as the next two teams await a wild card spot should someone else slip.

As a blustery winter storm crosses the United States, it will be 22 degrees with winds around 15 miles per hour for Saturday’s game. However, it is expected to be sunny and missing out on the wintry mix precipitation affecting other games.

The Bengals are favored by three points with an over/under of 41.5. The Bengals are -170 on the moneyline, while the Patriots are +140.

Cincinnati Bengals preview

The Bengals have an elite passing attack, which could be impacted by the winds and weather as mentioned earlier. Cincinnati is sixth in scoring 26.4 points per game and 10th in total offense at 362.1 yards per game. The Bengals are sixth in passing for 262.1 yards per game and 26th in rushing for 100.0 yards per game. Their 14 giveaways are tied for the fourth least.

Defensively they are 11th in limiting opponents to 20.6 points per game and 16th in allowing 335.7 yards per game. They are eighth against the rush at 109.6 yards per game and 20th against the pass at 226.1 yards per game. Their 19 takeaways are ninth.

New England Patriots preview

The Patriots continue to display a great defense, ranking eighth in allowing 19.2 points per game and sixth in 312.3 yards of offense per contest. They are ninth in both passing and rushing defense, allowing 202.0 yards passing per game and 110.3 yards rushing per game. Their 20 takeaways are sixth.

Their offense has struggled, though. They score 21.4 points per game, which ranks 17th, and only gain 319.5 yards per contest, which ranks 25th. The Patriots gain 112.0 yards rushing per game, which ranks 19th, and 207.5 yards passing per game, which ranks 23rd. Their 19 giveaways are 25th.

Bengals/Patriots betting preview

The Bengals are 11-3 against the spread and 5-8-1 on over/under with a straight-up 5-3 road record. The Patriots are 7-6-1 against the spread and 6-8 on over/under with a 3-3 home record straight up.

The Bengals are 1-6 against the spread in the last seven meetings, and the over has hit in four straight meetings in Foxborough. Meanwhile, 67% of bets are on the Bengals to cover, and another 62% are on the over.

The Bengals are 9-3 as favorites this season and 8-1 when favored by 6.5 points or less. The Patriots are 2-5 as underdogs and 1-5 as underdogs of 6.5 points or less.

Dunkel Index: Patriots +3; over 41.5.

You can find more of our NFL picks here.