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Edgar Chaput
Raiders vs. Bengals Point Spread: NFL Week 9 Odds, Prediction
Things have not gone according to plan for the Cincinnati Bengals. They sit at 3-5 overall in the standings, are shockingly 0-4 at home, and just lost to the Eagles 37-17. Hopes of making the playoffs are slipping, but frowns can be turned upside down this weekend with the Las Vegas Raiders in town. The Raiders look adrift at sea but lack the personnel to turn their campaign around.
Our NFL odds believe the Bengals will handle their business, pencilling them as -7 favourites.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The NFL schedule makers haven’t pitted these franchises against one another since the January 2022 Wild Card game that went the Bengals’ way, 26-19. Earlier that season Cincy visited Las Vagas and thumped the Silver and Black 32-13. All games before then were when the Raiders still represented the city of Oakland, including their last win in 2019.
There isn’t much to cheer for this season in Raider Nation, but betters can at least take note that Las Vegas gives them a chance to make good on the odds. Despite the 2-6 straight-up tally, the Raiders are 4-4 against the spread. They’ve covered their last two games despite losing. The over is a respectable 5-3 so far, although a lot of that has to do with the team getting the doors blown off them.
Things are not okay in the Queen City. The Bengals are also 4-4 ATS, buturely betters were expecting to reap rewards more frequently than just half the time. Straight-up wins were earned versus some of the NFL’s basement dwellers like the Giants, Panthers, and Browns. Losses were suffered against teams they’d have loved to beat, like the Chiefs, Ravens, and Eagles. Of note, WR Tee Higgins is listed as questionable as of Wednesday morning.
Las Vegas Raiders
Last week’s 27-20 home loss against the Kansas City Chiefs went exactly as one might expect. Las Vegas made a few nice plays to give themselves a puncher’s chance but the Chiefs were simply the more well-oiled machine.
As has often been the case this season, Las Vegas looked decent in the early goings. QB. Gardner Minshew and WR Jakobi Meyers connected frequently, including a 7-yard end zone score that levelled the terms 7-7 in the first quarter. A field goal shortly after even awarded the hosts a 10-7 lead, but that was all the positivity they’d celebrate on the day.
Even picking off Patrick Mahomes deep in Chiefs territory in the third period resulted in a turnover on downs in the red zone. Teams that fail to capitalize on such opportunities versus KC doom their odds. So it was in Week 8. The Chiefs only gained 334 total yards of offence, yet were a stunning 12-for-16 on third down.
RB Alexander Mattison finished the day with a horrific stat line: 14 carries for 15 yards. Do not be fooled by Minshew’s 24-for-30, 2-TD day. A lot of that was in on a late scoring drive that took way more time than it should have.
Cincinnati Bengals
Amazingly, it can be argued that the Bengals had an even worse day than the Raiders in Week 8. Chiefly because they had a chance to improve to .500 on the season and make a statement versus one of the better teams in the NFC.
The afternoon started brightly, with Joe Burrow and company eating up over 10 minutes of the game clock to punch in a 2-yard TD toss to WR Ja’Marr Chase. Chase, by the way, leads the league in yards (674) and touchdowns (seven). But the visiting Eagles were not interested in a competitive match, outscoring Cincy 37-10 the rest of the way. TE Mike Gesicki had a decent day (73 yards) but lost a fumble, and Burrow was picked off once.
Right now the bigger problem in Cincinnati is their 25th-ranked defence in total yards (358.6 per game) and the 22nd ranking in points conceded (25.4).
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