Don’t look now, but the Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) are just a game back of the eternally fortunate Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North after their second thrashing of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. The Bengals have already beaten Baltimore once this season, so they can finish no worse than tied with them in head-to-head meetings if the two teams end up with the same regular-season record. Next up for Joe Burrow’s crew is a visit from the Los Angeles Chargers (6-5), who have largely failed to take advantage of an AFC West that no one really seems to want to win…yet. Justin Herbert has struggled in his second season with decision-making, forcing too many balls into tight windows and turning the ball over.
Which of these two second-year quarterbacks will pull off the win? Check out our NFL betting preview here.
NFL Preview: L.A. Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday, December 5)
When: Sunday, December 5, 2021, 1:00 pm ET
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati
TV: CBS
Radio: KYSR 98.7 FM Los Angeles / WLW 700 AM Cincinnati
Live Stream: Hulu
NFL Odds: Cincinnati -3 / O/U 50.5 // Cincinnati -170 / Los Angeles +145
Why should you bet on the Chargers?
Coming into 2021, the Chargers looked like a team that could sneak into an AFC West title or at least a wild card. Justin Herbert was the Offensive Rookie of the Year last year, and with a new coaching staff, things looked up for the team. Even now, the Chargers are only a game out of first in the division, but with Kansas City having won four in a row, the Chargers are not trending the right way.
The main problem right now – as it was in 2020 – is consistency by the defense. The Chargers rank 29th in the NFL in points permitted per game. Of their six wins, five have come by six points or fewer, and in two of those games, they had to stack up at least 38 points to come away with the victory. That’s not a sustainable model for success in the NFL, and if you like the Chargers here, you see that defense reasserting itself.
Why should you put your money on the Bengals?
The Bengals continue to grow in terms of consistency. Yes, they swept the Pittsburgh Steelers, exorcising one of their many demons, but they have also lost to the New York Jets, and they got throttled by the 6-6 Cleveland Browns at home. An early problem for Cincinnati this season was an inability to establish a consistent ground game, and coverage problems in the secondary caused them to get torched in several of their losses.
Even so, Cincinnati has won two in a row, and their defense has really emerged, as they have only permitted 23 points in their last two games – 13 to the Raiders and 10 to the Steelers. Cincinnati has gone 4-1 ATS in their last five games after starting 2021 with a 1-5 record ATS. In their last six games, they have scored at least 31 points five times, as their offense has gained balance. Joe Mixon has turned back the clock at the tailback position, pounding the ball and giving Joe Burrow better looks by keeping opposing defenses from being able to load the box.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
I’ve been a big Joe Burrow fan since he was at LSU, and adding former teammate J’Marr Chase to the offense just made the Bengals even more dangerous. If you add in an opportunistic defense, you have a recipe for real success. I like the Bengals to keep their winning streak going by a final score of Cincinnati 30, Los Angeles 20.
L.A. Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals : Bet the Game Today
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