The Cincinnati Bengals are going into the Baltimore Ravens’ nest this week. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will be out this week due to a high ankle sprain.
This rivalry somehow keeps getting more personal. This will be Trey Hendrickson’s first time facing the Bengals since the two sides had the most dramatic offseason contract argument in a very long time. There is no love lost between these two sides.
Joe Burrow and this offense will be looking to continue their efficiency. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins appear to be healthy after getting banged up in Week 4 and playing through Week 5. Those three being on the field will be super important. What may be more important is how this defense handles the Ravens’ offense. Containing Derrick Henry will be vital. The run defense was a huge weakness the past two weeks they played.
Meanwhile, Baltimore’s pass rush has quite the rotation, so how Cincinnati helps out the left side in protection could be the difference in the game.
Here is how Vegas sees this one playing out:
Odds
The Bengals are currently only 2.5-point favorites on the road against the Ravens, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
The total line is at 48.5.
Expert Picks
- Nine of ESPN’s 11 experts are going with the Bengals
- CBS Sports has an even split between their six experts
- Only one of NFL.com’s five experts is taking Baltimore
- NFL Pick Watch — which takes into account picks from across the web — has Cincinnati receiving 65 percent of the picks
Cincy Jungle Pick
I’m going with the optimist view. I do think the defense will benefit from Jackson not playing. The bye week truly came at a wonderful time for Cincinnati, so, on top of getting a bit more healthy — they’ve had time to analyze what did and did not work on both sides of the ball. Hopefully that plays out for a road win that would go a long way towards their odds at the playoffs and maybe even the division in a scrappy rivalry bout.
Bengals 30, Ravens 25