Ravens vs. Bengals Point Spread: NFL Wild Card Odds, Prediction
It’s an AFC North battle in the Wild Card round on Sunday night as the Cincinnati Bengals host the Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium. Cinci is looking to make a second straight Super Bowl appearance after finishing the regular-season with a 12-4 record. After missing the playoffs last year, the Ravens are back to post-season football following a 10-7 record in the regular-season.
The Bengals opened as 6.5-point favourites to win on the NFL odds, while the total sits at 43.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
These division rivals split the season series, with the home team coming out on top in both games. Baltimore came away with a slim 19-17 win in Week 5, while Cincinnati answered back with a 27-16 victory in the final week of the regular-season. It’s worth noting, however, that Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson did not play last week and is listed as questionable for Sunday.
The Ravens weren’t a great cover option this year, going 7-9-1 against the spread overall, although they were a healthy 6-3 ATS on the road. The total went Under in 12 of their 17 games as they averaged 18.5 points per game allowed, the third-best mark in the NFL. Baltimore is +2938 to win the Super Bowl.
Cincinnati built off last season’s success and finished the 2022-23 season with a 12-4 record both straight up and ATS. The total went Under in nine of their 16 games and they finished as a top-10 offence and top-10 defence, averaging 26.1 points per game (seventh in NFL) while holding opponents to 20.1 ppg (T-6). The Bengals are +642 to win the Super Bowl.
Baltimore Ravens
There is only one question surrounding Baltimore that fans want to know: will quarterback Lamar Jackson play? It initially looked like Jackson would be good to return after suffering a PCL sprain on Dec. 4, but he’s now reportedly facing an uphill battle to make it back on Sunday and he has not practiced with the team as of Thursday morning. Jackson led the Ravens to an 8-4 record before suffering the knee injury against the Broncos in Week 13.
If Jackson doesn’t suit up, Tyler Huntley is expected to take snaps under centre. Huntley was 2-2 as a starter this season and is a clear downgrade from former league MVP Jackson. Huntley threw for 658 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in six total games. In 12 games, Jackson threw for 2,242 yards, 17 TDs and seven INTs. He also led Baltimore with 764 rushing yards and added another three TDs on the ground. The Ravens will be hard-pressed to win without Jackson.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati ended the regular-season on a heater, winning their last eight games to claim the AFC North crown. Keep in mind, they also played one less game because of their cancelled matchup against Buffalo. Joe Burrow led the way, with the third-year QB throwing for 4,475 passing yards (fifth-most in NFL) and 35 TDs (T-2) compared to 12 INTs. Burrow is +741 to finish as the Super Bowl LVII MVP, trailing only Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes (+296), Buffalo’s Josh Allen (+407), Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts (+481) and San Francisco’s Brock Purdy (+709).
The Bengals’ offence is clicking heading into the playoffs. Cinci has averaged 29 points per game over their eight-game win streak, with the wide receiver duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins being primary factors in that success. Chase returned from a hip injury in Week 13 and racked up 40 catches for 441 receiving yards and three TDs in the final five games. Higgins played seven of the last eight games, making 40 catches for 525 yards and four TDs. For the season, Chase led the team in receptions (87), receiving yards (1,046), and receiving TDs (nine). Higgins was second in those categories, finishing the year with 74 receptions for 1,029 yards and seven TDs.
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