Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Odds, Prediction & Pick
Ravens vs. Bengals Odds
| Ravens Odds | +3 |
| Bengals Odds | -3 |
| Over/Under | 46 |
| Date | Sun, Sep. 17 |
| Time | 1:00 p.m. |
| TV | CBS |
On Sunday afternoon, NFL fans will be treated to another edition of one of the league’s most exciting rivalries when the Baltimore Ravens travel to the Queen City to battle the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 1, the Ravens took care of business at home, defeating the Houston Texans 25-9. The Bengals struggled mightily in a 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns on the road.
Nevertheless, oddsmakers have priced the Bengals as 3-point favorites on the spread in this matchup. The total for this contest is set at over/under 46 points.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where NFL bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore offensive line down two starters
On Friday, the Ravens ruled out left tackle Ronnie Staley and center Tyler Linderbaum. Staley played 49 of 64 snaps at the position in the season opener, allowing two pressures on and a sack. His backup, Patrick Mekari, has allowed 10 sacks in 1,284 pass-blocking snaps for his career, compared to Staley’s 11 sacks allowed in 2,869 career pass-blocking snaps.
Linderbaum is likely to be replaced by Sam Mustipher. Linderbaum finished last season ranked 6th out of 36 qualified centers in blocking grading, according to PFF. Mustipher is a competent backup, but is a notable downgrade at the position. If Baltimore is unable to protect Lamar Jackson on Sunday, it could result in a poor performance for the passing attack.
In Week 1, Jackson was a perfect 15-for-15 for 155 passing yards when kept clean, but was only 2-for-7 for 14 passing yards and an interception when under pressure. Jackson has consistently struggled against pressure across the last few seasons. Since 2020, he has a mediocre 15-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio when under duress. Even against a weak Cincinnati secondary unit, he could struggle.
Ravens’ secondary unit missing key players
On Sunday afternoon, the Ravens will once again be without starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Humphrey’s replacement, Brandon Stephens, allowed eight receptions on 10 targets in Week 1 against the Houston Texans and will have a much tougher matchup in Week 2 against Ja’Marr Chase, who is one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL. Baltimore will also be without starting safety Marcus Williams, which means that Stephens will not have elite help over-the-top in this matchup either. This group could have a rough afternoon.
Cincinnati Bengals
Will Joe Burrow rebound in Week 2?
In Week 1, Joe Burrow played, arguably, his worst game as a professional – totaling only 82 passing yards in a 24-3 loss against the Cleveland Browns. He was pressured on 12 of his 33 dropbacks, but he was only 11-for-21 for 58 passing yards from a clean pocket, so the offensive line was not completely at fault. Following the game, reports surfaced that the inclement weather had a tremendous impact on the passing attack for both teams, suggesting that Burrow should receive a pass for his disappointing start to the campaign. Burrow was elite last season on many of the throws he missed last weekend – there is no reason to panic in Cincinnati, at least not yet.
Joseph Assai listed as questionable
Heading into Week 2, edge defender Joseph Assai is the only semi-significant name on the Bengals’ injury report. Assai did not play last weekend, but appears to be trending positively ahead of this matchup against the Ravens after logging a limited practice on Friday. Assai had four sacks as a rookie in 2022 and would be a nice addition for this defense in an important divisional battle.
The larger question for this unit remains the secondary, which is painfully thin on talent after losing both starting safeties in free agency. Dax Hill was a first round pick in 2022 and has the potential to grow into a positive contributor, despite his struggles as a rookie last fall. However, Nick Scott is a major liability in coverage, which is likely to cause issues on a near-weekly basis this season.
Ravens vs. Bengals – Picks & Predictions
According to SportsBook Breakers, the Baltimore Ravens are 10-0-1 ATS as a regular season underdog when Lamar Jackson plays. Being down two starting offensive lineman and two starting members of the secondary unit is far from ideal for the Ravens, but they have the depth to remain competitive in this matchup. Zay Flowers and the likely return of Mark Andrews give Jackson two dependable options in the quick passing game, which should keep the offense producing at a high level. Defensively, Ja’Marr Chase is a concern, but Baltimore generated 30 pressures last week and should find similar success in Week 2 against a porous Cincinnati Bengals offensive line. In an intra-division affair, getting a field goal on the spread is a worthwhile risk here, especially considering how poorly Joe Burrow and company played in their season opener.
PICK: Ravens +3 (-110, Fanatics Sportsbook)