The Baltimore Ravens have lost some of their early-season swagger, but they have a chance to get back on track and keep pace in the division with a home date against the winless Cincinnati Bengals. As big favorites and with a high total, what’s the smart betting move in this game?
- Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens (Matchup Report)
- Date/Time: October 13, 1 p.m. ET
- TV Coverage: CBS
- Sportsbook Odds: Baltimore -10.5 | O/U 48 (Line History)
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Baltimore is playing its third straight divisional game, but with a noticeable talent advantage, a double-digit spread isn’t surprising. Action has been heavily favoring the Ravens, as the spread moved quickly to 12 points, before bouncing back to 11.5. As both teams have shown an ability to score (and struggle defensively), the 48-point total seems more than appropriate.
Cincinnati News & Notes
Cincinnati may be winless but has played hard under rookie coach Zac Taylor. The team’s downfall has been inconsistency and an inability to finish games.
The Bengals lost on the road to Seattle and Buffalo, and at home to Arizona last week, by a combined eight points, with two of those losses coming in the final two minutes.
What’s kept Cincinnati in games is a functional offense, led by wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who is fifth in the NFL in receptions. He’s coming off a big game against Arizona, hauling in 10 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown.
Look for Boyd to get plenty of action in Week 6 against a Baltimore defense that has allowed the second-most passing yards against and just lost safety Tony Jefferson for the season with an ACL injury, as the Bengals try to notch their first win of the season and break an eight-game road losing streak.
Baltimore News & Notes
We’ve come a long way from the early-season talk of Lamar Jackson for MVP. After lighting up the league in his first two games, Baltimore’s young quarterback has struggled his past three contests, throwing just four touchdowns, getting sacked 12 times and seeing his passing yards decline every game this season.
They may be facing a winless Bengals team in Week 6, but Cincinnati has played good teams tightly this season. And with this being the Ravens’ third straight divisional matchup, they’re going to need to tighten things up.
Look for Baltimore’s No. 1-ranked rushing game to exploit the Bengals’ last-place rushing defense, as they look to cover the spread for the first time in seven divisional home games.
Betting Pick: OVER 48
Cincinnati is a plucky team in a divisional matchup. Baltimore to cover isn’t the safest bet, but with both offenses capable of points, I feel much better about the OVER.
- The total has gone OVER in the Ravens’ last 4 divisional games.
- The Bengals are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as road underdogs.
- The Ravens are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games as a double-digit favorite.
