NFL Game Odds: SNF Bengals at Chargers | One NFL coordinator whose seat is heating up is Lou Anarumo, the DC for the Cincinnati Bengals.
His unit has given up 262 points and is a major reason for the Bengals’ 1-4 start and current 4-6 record.
Cincinnati scored 38 points in their first meeting with Baltimore and 34 in their second – and they lost both. They scored 33 points at home against Washington – but gave up 38.
The Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders scored 24 points each against the struggling team, despite unsuccessful attempts to strengthen the defense by bringing in Xavien Howard for a visit.
NFL Game Odds: SNF Bengals at Chargers in Week 11 | NFL 2024/25 Season
When: Sunday, November 17, 2024, 8:20 pm ET
Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
TV: NBC
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Peacock
Opening SNF Game Odds Subject to Change: Cincinnati +1.5 / O/U 47.5
The Bengals, lacking depth at cornerback since the draft, have not addressed the issue, leading to disappointment, especially with Cam Taylor-Britt failing to make the expected impact in his third season, despite a standout play in Week 2.
Struggling in recent games, he allowed seven catches on eight starts for 116 yards, three touchdowns, and a perfect passer rating. Fifth-round pick Josh Newton is receiving more playing time.
The Bengals held Baltimore to seven points on first seven possessions, but Ravens scored four touchdowns on last four drives to win 35-34. Bengals must regroup.
How will the Cincinnati defense look against a methodical, run-first Chargers team? We will see.
Read on to get our sports betting prediction for this week’s edition of Sunday Night Football. ^
Cincinnati Bengals SNF Line -102
The Bengals entered last Thursday’s game in Baltimore as significant underdogs, and getting that win would have helped their playoff positioning significantly. Now with a date against the Chargers and two tilts with the Steelers still on the slate, they have more chances to help burnish their own postseason resume, but losing to the Ravens makes this game even more important.
Remember that the Bengals were up 14 midway through the third period in Baltimore, but an avalanche of mistakes on both sides of the ball let the Ravens up off the mat. Consider Chase Brown’s fumble in the third. Go back and watch the highlight reel of Tylan Wallace’s 84-yard touchdown catch-and-run, as the Bengals’ defense missed tackle after tackle. Joe Burrow failed to convert on fourth down, but Cam Taylor-Britt also had an interception clank off his hands. This is a team that keeps getting in its own way, and the brilliance of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are being wasted.
Tossin' the pigskin.
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 14, 2024
Weekday Work | @IEL_LLC pic.twitter.com/0NdkoxUZrt
Home vs Road Games
The Bengals are just 1-4 at home, but they have won three of four away from Paycom Stadium, with their lone setback coming by one point last Thursday in Baltimore. In their last seven Sunday road contests, they have won the first half, and they have the first touchdown in fove straight road games. Burrow has been elite in terms of ball security, with just four picks against 24 touchdown passes.
Ja’Marr Chase has combined with tight end Mike Gesicki for 1,314 receiving yards and a dozen touchdowns, and Chase Brown has been the top tailback – but he only has 521 yards on the season. That shows a couple of things – the issues that the Bengals have had on the O-line in terms of opening holes, but also the problems that losing Joe Mixon caused the team.
^Los Angeles Chargers SNF Line -120
If you didn’t expect Justin Herbert to make an impact with his running, you were far from alone. Against Tennessee, though, he had seven carries for 32 yards and a score. He now has 1,028 rushing yards, the most in Chargers franchise history for a quarterback. (Yes, we know that you didn’t expect Phillip Rivers to post a lot of rushing yards, but it’s still interesting that the notably mobile Dan Fouts didn’t have more yards than that from his time running the Air Coryell offense). He had an eight-yard rumble in the fourth quarter, delivering a pump fake worthy of Patrick Mahomes and sending cornerback Roger McCreary tumbling to the grass, that drew crazy applause from his bench.
charged up pic.twitter.com/oUN1YoVbn7
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) November 15, 2024
The Defense
The Chargers also impressed against Tennessee with their depth on defense. The unit produced seven sacks, and Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, the team’s All-Pro edge rushers, played 22 snaps combined. They didn’t have either of their starting cornerbacks, but they only allowed 17 points anyway. Rookies Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart, both drafted in the fifth round, did enough to shut down the Titans’ offense, showing that it is possible to get stout defensive play out of your rookies. However, can they play similarly against a much better quarterback who might also have Tee Higgins joining Chase in the offense?
The Chargers lead the NFL in scoring defense and are sixth in total defense. They’re a bit limited on rushing defense, as they allow 4.5 yards per carry, but the Bengals’ running game isn’t particularly worrisome. The Chargers are fifth in yards permitted per pass attempt (6.5). They are fourth in sacks (31) and 11th in takeaways (13). They haven’t given up more than 20 points in any game. One way they can hold Cincinnati below 20 is not just to get after Joe Burrow, but also to control the clock on offense. They are just 27th in rushing yards per carry, but the Bengals were vulnerable to the Ravens’ attack of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. The Chargers also excel in ball security – with just four giveaways on the season, the lowest total in the NFL.
^NFL Game Odds: Bengals at Chargers SNF Final Score and Prediction IN Week 11
Cincinnati Injuries
For the Bengals, edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (neck) will not travel with the team out west but should fly in separately and play. He appears as questionable on the injury report but is only traveling separately due to personal reasons. Tee Higgins (hamstring) is also expected to play after missing three games. B.J. Hill (knee) appears as questionable but is also expected to play. Orlando Brown Jr missed practice on Friday and is still listed as questionable but remains day-to-day.
Los Angeles Injuries
For the Chargers, tight end Hayden Hurst (personal reasons) practiced Thursday without limitations. Tailback J.K. Dobbins did not practice Thursday, but the team has held him out of three straight Thursday practices to give him rest. Khalil Mack (groin) did not practice against Thursday as he continues to rehab the injury he suffered against Cleveland. He only played four snaps against Tennessee before heading to the bench. He looks like a game-time decision again this week.
This game will come down to two questions – can the Cincinnati run defense force the Chargers into second- and third-and-long situations? Can Joe Burrow get enough time in the pocket to find his receivers? The answers will determine whether the Bengals get to 5-6 and pick up a head-to-head win against another team looking for a wild-card slot in the AFC playoff picture. The Bengals have done well against teams not named the Baltimore Ravens since their ridiculous start, but the Chargers are coming on strong.
I predict a final score of Cincinnati 27, Los Angeles 23.
Which (hypothetical) matchup would you want to see the most 👀 @surface pic.twitter.com/PSEG487OcL
— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2024
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NFL Game Odds: SNF Bengals at Chargers, Week 11
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