Ravens Bengals Line

Written by Steve Janus

The Cincinnati Bengals are set to host the Baltimore Ravens in a crucial AFC North matchup that has playoff implications for both teams. The Bengals come into the game clinging to a one-game lead for the final Wild Card spot in the AFC at 9-6, but four teams sit at 8-7 hoping for the Bengals to fall to Baltimore. The Ravens are currently the No. 2 seed with an 11-4 record, but a loss and a Steelers win and the Ravens would enter the postseason as the No. 5 seed. Both teams clearly have a lot to play for in this game. Baltimore edged the Bengals 31-24 back in week 11, holding off a late rally by Cincinnati.

Taking a look at the week 17 NFL spreads, oddsmakers currently have the Ravens favored by 2-points over the Bengals with the total set at 39 points.

Baltimore Ravens:

The Ravens held on for a 20-14 win over the Browns last week, giving them a perfect 8-0 record at home on the year. Winning on the road hasn’t been as easy for Baltimore. The Ravens are just 3-4 away from M&T Bank Stadium, which includes losses at Tennessee, Jacksonville, Seattle, and San Diego, four teams who will likely not be playing past this Sunday.

In the first matchup against the Bengals, the Ravens got just enough offense behind quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice to secure a win. Flacco threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns on 17 of 27 passing, while Rice added 104 yards and two scores on the ground.

While Rice had 135 all-purpose yards in the win over Cleveland last week, Flacco completed just 11 of 24 attempts for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Another performance like that from Flacco, and the Ravens are going to have a hard time winning this game.

If history tells us anything, there’s a good chance Flacco will struggle this week. In his last give visits to Cincinnati, Flacco has just four touchdowns passes to 10 interceptions, including four picks in last year’s 10-15 loss at Paul Brown Stadium.

Cincinnati Bengals:

Even if the Bengals end up losing to the Ravens and missing out on the playoffs, you have to give the players and coaching staff a lot of credit for what they have been able to accomplish this season. No expected Cincinnati to even finish the year with a winning record, but that is exactly what this team has done behind a couple of promising rookies and a stingy defense.

Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has surpassed what anyone could have expected in his rookie season. The former TCU quarterback has thrown for 3,166 yards with 20 touchdowns to just 13 interceptions, far better than what anyone could have imagined when the Bengals took him early in the second round.

Dalton’s favorite target has been sensational rookie wide out A.J. Green, who has 63 receptions for 1,031 yards and seven touchdowns. Green’s 1,031 receiving yards are a franchise record for a rookie receiver, and he can break the receptions record with five more against the Bengals.

Another player that deserves a lot of credit is veteran running back Cedric Benson. Forget the off-field problems, Benson has been a huge reason why Cincinnati has been able to win nine games up to this point. Benson has 1,016 yards and six touchdowns on 260 carries.

Dalton had his ups and downs in his first game against the Ravens defense. He threw for a season-high 373 yards, but was also picked off a season-high three times, two of which ended up leading to Baltimore touchdowns. One thing to keep in mind, Green wasn’t available in the first meeting, as he sat out with a bruised right knee.

Betting Trends:

Baltimore is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite of 0.5-3.0.

Cincinnati is 0-3-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.

Be sure to stop back and check out who Steve Janus has picked to win this week in the NFL.

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