Cincinnati at Baltimore Week 12 Betting Pick & Prediction

Mathematically speaking, both the Cincinnati Bengals (3-6) and the Baltimore Ravens (5-5) are still in the race for the AFC North title. But realistically speaking, the AFC North championship battle is pretty much a two-horse race between the Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who took a one-game divisional lead following their Thanksgiving Day victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Can the skidding Bengals ruin Baltimore’s title hopes and possibly give themselves an unlikely chance in the divisional race or a darkhorse shot in the AFC playoffs, or will the Ravens stay neck-to- neck with Pittsburgh by securing a much-needed win this Sunday? Read on below for a complete NFL betting preview of this Week 12 matchup.

Cincinnati at Baltimore Week 12 Betting Pick & Prediction

Dave Lapham goes to the tape to preview Sunday’s AFC North matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

Lap’s Look : https://t.co/HcWF0Zi1K9 pic.twitter.com/BUNdcYZNYh — Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 25, 2016

Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland When: Sunday, November 27, 1:00 PM TV: CBS Radio: Cincinnati / Baltimore Live Stream: NFL Live NFL Lines: Baltimore (-4), OVER/UNDER 40.5

Why Bet on Cincinnati?

The Bengals have been struggling for wins in their recent games, being held to a 27-all tie against the Redskins at the end of October before suffering losses of 21-20 to the Giants and 16-12 to the Bills last week. But as is glimpsed by the scores from these games, the Bengals have been competitive in all the narrow losses, so Cincy fans can almost be guaranteed that their team will be putting a strong fight in Baltimore this week. Moreover, the Ravens—in spite of owning the best defense in the NFL—were easily torched for 417 yards by Dallas last week, including 301 passing yards and three touchdown throws by rookie QB Dak Prescott. With Cincinnati having an above-average QB in Andy Dalton and a good-enough defense (22.6 PPG allowed) to help out on the other side of the field, the Bengals should certainly have a winning chance against the Ravens.

Why Bet on Baltimore?

In spite of losing 27-17 to the Cowboys last week, the Ravens did show a lot of resolve in their game, especially during the first half when they went into the break on a 10-10 tie with Dallas. But as has been the case many times this season, Baltimore could not sustain momentum in the second half, with the Joe Flaco-led offense particularly struggling to convert possessions into scores. Fortunately for Baltimore, it will be facing a Cincy team that has also been struggling i offense, with both the Ravens and Bengals averaging exactly 19.9 PPG scoring this season. And as an added advantage, Baltimore owns a superior defense (18.7 PPG allowed), which should give the Ravens some edge this Sunday. More than that, the Ravens have been solid at home this season, going 3-2 SU/ATS at the M&T Bank Stadium while the Bengals have been pathetic on the road, going 1-4 SU and 0-4 ATS away from Cincinnati. If the Ravens can tap into their home mojo, then beating the Bengals shouldn’t be a biggie, particularly with Cincy’s roster ravaged with key injuries that include star wide receiver A.J. Green and #1 running back Gio Bennard.

Expert NFL Predictions and Picks

Okay, let’s make one thing clear, the Bengals barely have anything going on for them here, no wonder the Ravens are decent—and rightful—favorites in this game. That said, the Bengals (even with Green injured in their previous game) still hanged tough against the Bills. It shouldn’t therefore be a surprise if Cincinnati plays tough and keeps things close this week. Matter of fact, with everyone writing off Cincinnati, Dalton and the Bengals, who are 5-0 SU in their last 5 overall meetings against Baltimore, may just surprise us with an outright surprise. Final Score Prediction: Cincinnati 20, Baltimore 19 Writer’s NFL Pick: Cincinnati (+4)