Rams vs. Bengals Point Spread: NFL Pre-Season Week 3 Odds, Prediction
The Bengals made a number of personnel changes in the wake of their heartbreaking 23-20 loss to Los Angeles in Super Bowl 56. However, those upgrades have yet to make their mark in preseason action. The Bengals remain winless in August after dropping a 25-22 decision to the New York Giants last week. The Rams are also on the rebound after last week’s 24-20 loss to the Houston Texans, and have work to do to snap a dismal slide on the road in preseason action.
Despite their preseason struggles, the Bengals have held steady since opening as 2.5-point favourites to win on the NFL odds. Cincinnati, however, has garnered support from just 38 per cent of sports bettors. The Rams lag as attractive +118 moneyline underdogs. And the total has risen slightly to 38.0 since opening at 37.5, with OVER attracting 92 per cent of the betting action.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Saturday night’s matchup at Paycor Stadium marks the first preseason meeting between these teams since 2009. The Rams have earned the win in each of their past two playoff and regular season dates with Cincinnati, and also enjoys a steady 2-1-1 against the spread run in head-to-head action.
Recent clashes between these teams have tended towards low scoring, with the total reaching 40 just once during a steady 6-0-0 run for the UNDER. However, neither of these teams have proven to be a reliable preseason bet in recent years. The Rams’ 29-22 win over their co-tenants at SoFi Stadium, the Los Angeles Chargers, marked just their fourth preseason road win in 18 games since 2011, and their lone August victory since 2019. For the Bengals, last week’s loss to the Giants extended their current losing streak in preseason action to four games. In addition, the team has not tallied an August win on home turf since 2018.
Los Angeles Rams
As expected, Rams starters have seen limited action so far in the preseason. While that may change during joint practices with the Bengals this week, the objective on Saturday will be for bubble players to continue their fights for jobs. One player that has made a strong case to earn a spot on the opening day lineup is undrafted rookie Lance McCutcheon. A wide receiver out of Montana State, McCutcheon has compiled a team-best 184 receiving yards and caught two scoring passes.
While quarterback Matthew Stafford is expected to see plenty of action in joint practices, the Rams will likely use Saturday’s contest to determine who will serve as Stafford’s backup. Second-year Bryce Perkins looks to have the edge after racking up 256 passing yards and two scoring tosses in two preseason appearances.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow has yet to see action in the preseason as he tends to an injury. And while he is also expected to be a full participant in joint practices, the Bengals still face a tough decision on who will serve as backup. Neither Brandon Allen nor Jake Browning have been particularly impressive leading a Cincy attack that has yet to tally a scoring pass outside of garbage time, and failed to reach the end zone before halftime so far in preseason action.
Things have not gone much better for the Bengals defence, which surrendered 356 passing yards versus New York, and allowed third-string pivot Davis Webb to orchestrate three fourth-quarter scoring drives that sealed the Giants’ comeback win.
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