Bengals vs. Chargers Same Game Parlay Picks for Today

by Joe Cistaro (joeycis) Last Updated 2024-11-17 14:45:25

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Sunday Night Football features a battle between two AFC Wild Card hopefuls. The Chargers at 6-3 are safely inside the playoff hunt, while the Bengals continue to present as a playoff team that keeps losing. The Chargers are a different team under Jim Harbaugh, and Justin Herbert is playing some of his best football as he nears full health. The Bengals desperately need a win in conference to keep their playoffs hope alive.

Check out our Same Game Parlay Guide before we break down tonight’s game and build a same game parlay for Sunday Night Football.

Bengals vs. Chargers Same Game Parlay Preview

On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Chargers are 1-point home favorites. The betting spreads tell us all we need to know about this game. The Bengals are far better than their record, and bookmakers agree. With the line opening at -2.5, ScoresAndOdds reports that more than 80% of betting tickets and handle side with Cincinnati.

The implied game total sits at 48 points at the time of this writing. Most of the betting action is on the over, and why shouldn’t it be? The Bengals throw the football a ton and give up an abundance of points on defense. Over the past 3 weeks, the Bengals allowed 32.0 points per game. The Chargers put together a few good weeks, scoring 26.0 PPG over the last 3 weeks. The Chargers attempt the 2nd-fewest passes per game, but the Bengals defense is so bad that the Chargers should be able to move the football.

The Bengals will return Tee Higgins to the fold on Sunday night. Returning from a quad injury, the talented wide receiver will help take the focus off of Ja’Marr Chase. Higgins has 45 targets in 5 games this season. LT Orlando Brown will not play on Sunday night, leaving Burrow’s blindside at risk against the 3rd-ranked Chargers’ pass rush. On defense, DL B.J. Hill is questionable for Sunday night.

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For the Chargers, Khalil Mack is questionable to play, and Joey Bosa expects to play 30 snaps. Without Orlando Brown, the Chargers pass rush could have a big night against Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow took 4 sacks last game and could be in for a long night against this front. Gus Edwards was removed from the injury report and will play on Sunday night against the Bengals.

The Chargers want to run the football, but the Bengals have shown a penchant for bottling up running backs. Arguably the best running back in the NFL this season, Derrick Henry was kept in check both games against Cincinnati. While this could be a product of 2 bad pass defenses playing against each other, the new-look Chargers are coached well. Los Angeles wants to run the football but will pass the football with their elite quarterback and budding receiving options. Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston, and Ladd McConkey might all be in for a great night on Sunday.

Cincinnati might consider a shift in offensive approach against the Chargers. The Chargers rank in the top 10 in yards per pass attempt on defense but 25th in yards per rush attempt. New bell cow Chase Brown could be assigned extra looks on Sunday night to keep the Chargers’ defense off balance.

Let’s take a look at props for Sunday Night Football on DraftKings to build our same game parlay.

Same Game Parlay Picks for Bengals vs. Chargers

Justin Herbert Over 266.5 Passing + Rushing Yards
Joshua Palmer Over 32.5 Receiving Yards
Mike Gesicki Under 27.5 Receiving Yards

Justin Herbert Over 266.5 Passing + Rushing Yards

Justin Herbert looks healthy and is playing for a competent coaching staff. The Chargers continue to play efficiently with the pass and the run despite a young WR corps. Justin Herbert gets one of the best fantasy matchups for a quarterback on Sunday night against a horrible defense that uses the pass to play catch up.

If this game shoots out, Herbert is likely looking at more volume than the norm on Sunday night. If the game is close, the Chargers might throw the football to exploit a bad Bengals’ passing defense, especially on the outside. Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer represent big-play options, while Ladd McConkey continues to grow into an elite wide receiver in his rookie season.

Herbert has added yardage on the ground, but we are too late for his rushing number. Herbert opened at 8.5 rushing yards. With that number all the way up to 15.5, I think it’s better to absorb his rushing into this prop.

Joshua Palmer Over 32.5 Receiving Yards

Quentin Johnston or Joshua Palmer is going to go off on Sunday night. The Bengals get shredded by outside receivers — allowing 25.6 fantasy points per game against wide receivers playing outside of the numbers. Joshua Palmer happens to have the lower receiving prop.

Palmer has exceed this number in 6 straight games. This weekend, he squares off against one of the worst passing defenses in the league. This is an easy over to include with our Justin Herbert over.

Mike Gesicki Under 27.5 Receiving Yards

The party is over for Mike Gesicki. We took advantage of a ladder a couple of weeks ago when Tee Higgins wasn’t playing. A de facto wide receiver in Higgins’ absence, Gesicki was peppered by Joe Burrow while Higgins missed action.

With Higgins back, the usage is pretty simple. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will receive a bulk of the workload. Gesicki is likely to see very little work (if any) on Sunday night. Against a good defense, this feels like a good place to close with an under.