It’s only taken a couple of seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals to move from mediocrity to perennial contender status, thanks to the arrival of Joe Burrow at quarterback and the commitment of the franchise to a strong defense and a terrific offensive line. Now the Bengals have won their second straight AFC North title and will host the Baltimore Ravens in a wild card playoff game this weekend. The teams split their regular-season games, as the Ravens won, 19-17, earlier in the season, while the Bengals won in Week 18, 27-16. Both teams won their home games, and this game returns to Cincinnati. Can the Bengals pull off another thrilling postseason run? Check out our thoughts as you consider your NFL Playoffs betting strategy.
NFL News: Cincinnati Bengals Betting Analysis
→ Joe Burrow will have another big game against Baltimore
In 2021, Burrow’s ownership of the Ravens meant that he threw for over 1,000 yards in their two meetings. In 2022, the Ravens did a better job of keeping Burrow in check, but in Week 18, he went 25 of 42 with a touchdown pass, giving him two straight games with at least 40 attempts. Four of his completions went for at least 20 yards, including his touchdown, a 26-yard scoring strike to Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow’s accuracy could have been better, though, particularly in the red zone. Getting to play the Ravens back to back, with the confidence of that Week 18 win, should help Burrow prepare.
→ Ja’Marr Chase will continue his rising performance
Chase had to miss a good deal of the season due to injury, but he still broke the 1,000-yard barrier and had nine touchdown catches. In Week 18, he was targeted 13 times and caught eight balls for 86 yards and that touchdown. He has been targeted at least 10 times in four straight games now. In addition to the touchdown, he also had catches for 17 and 20 yards as well as some receptions as the check-down option. With Tee Higgins on the other side of the formation, Chase should continue to find room to get open and do damage to the Ravens’ defense.
→ The Bengals’ defense is still underrated, but it continues to make big plays
Against Baltimore in Week 18, the defense got things going, as interceptions by Jessie Bates and Mike Hilton gave the Cincinnati offense short fields and the opportunity to get easier touchdowns. The defense also got into the scoring as well, as Trey Hendrickson had a strip sack that Joseph Ossai recovered for a touchdown. Bates combined with Cam Taylor-Britt to force a fumble that Vonn Bell recovered to help salt away the game. The defense might not get four takeaways this week, but we can expect this unit to be an important factor once again, especially since Lamar Jackson either will not play due to his knee injury or will likely be limited in his mobility if he does get the start.
→ But what about the divisional round?
If favorites win, the Bengals would take on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round – on the road. The Bengals had an early lead when the teams met in Week 17, but that game was canceled in the wake of Damar Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest. The fact that the Bengals already had one touchdown and were driving again when the game stopped suggests that they can deal with the Buffalo defense. Obviously, the Bills will come in with all the intangibles, as Hamlin is out of the hospital and is likely to be at the stadium for playoff games, but this is a Bengals team that has won eight in a row and is difficult to intimidate. I would take the Bengals to cover a line that was more than four or five points in this game, and it would not surprise me if they knock off the Bills to get back to the AFC title game.
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