Rams vs. Bengals Point Spread: NFL Week 3 Odds, Prediction
It’s a rematch of Super Bowl 56 in the late game of the Week 3 Monday night doubleheader as the Los Angeles Rams visit the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati is a 2-point favourite to win on the NFL odds even though Joe Burrow may sit out.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
This is the usual-starting Monday night game at 8:15 p.m. ET and on ESPN/ESPN2, while Eagles-Bucs kicks off at 7:15 p.m. ET on ABC.
It’s stunning how much these franchises have diverged since the Rams won Super Bowl 57, 23-20 over Cincinnati, on their own SoFi Stadium field on Feb. 13, 2021. The Rams pretty much went all-in that year regarding trading future draft picks, etc., and it has showed as the team collapsed last year at 5-12, the worst-ever record for a defending Super Bowl champion. LA does look better so far this year, but it’s not a contender.
Cincinnati should contend for many years as long as superstar QB Joe Burrow is healthy. Alas, he is not currently. The former No. 1 overall pick – like Rams QB Matthew Stafford – became the highest-paid player in league history by average annual value on the eve of the season.
The last regular-season meeting between the franchises was in 2019 when Burrow was winning a Heisman Trophy at LSU and Stafford was still with Detroit, and the Rams won 24-10 in London.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have looked better than expected in the early going even with star WR Cooper Kupp, the 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, on the PUP list – meaning he misses at least the first four games. Rookie fifth-round WR Puka Nacua has more than made up for Kupp’s absence as he leads the NFL with 25 catches and is second with 266 yards. Nacua’s 15 catches in Sunday’s competitive loss to the 49ers were an NFL rookie record, and he is the first player in league history with at least 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards in each of his first two career games. The Rams decided to deactivate No. 1 running back Cam Akers ahead of Week 2 even though he played Week 1, and Akers is expected to be traded. Second-year Kyren Williams is now the clear No. 1 and has totaled two TDs in each of the first two games.
Cincinnati Bengals
Last season, Cincinnati became the eighth team since 1970 to start 0-2 and reach a conference title game. No team has ever started 0-2 and reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but that’s now staring the Bengals in the face after a 27-24 home loss to Baltimore on Sunday. To make matters worse, QB Joe Burrow aggravated a calf injury that forced him to miss all of the preseason and most of camp, and it seems unlikely he plays Monday or the spread would surely be at least -3.5. Burrow was 27-for-41 for 222 yards, two scores and a pick near the Baltimore end zone on Sunday. His backup is 27-year-old Jake Browning, who has never completed an NFL regular-season pass (one attempt). Star wideout Ja’Marr Chase has been held in check so far with a total of 70 yards. The Cincinnati defence has been gashed on the ground in both weeks. Strong safety Nick Scott left Week 2 with a possible concussion.
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