Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

NFL Super Wild Card Weekend will resume on Sunday night with an AFC North rematch between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. Coverage begins from Paycor Stadium in Cincy at 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC. 

Updated on 04/25/2024

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BALTIMORE RAVENS vs. CINCINNATI BENGALS BETTING PREDICTION

The Ravens posted an incredibly promising start to the season, as Baltimore barreled out to an impressive 9-4 run in their first 13 contests, while generating 27+ points on the offensive side of the ball in five of those outings, and defensively, holding their opponent to 20 points or less in seven of them.

However, they’ve been without Lamar Jackson for six weeks now, and this is a completely different squad in the absence of their star quarterback, highlighted by the Ravens’ offense averaging just 12.5 PPG across their latest 3-3 stretch.

Depending on how you view it, though, that’s a very encouraging notion for the Ravens, considering they still managed to produce a .500 split across their latest six-game stretch, despite scoring 17 points or less in all six of those affairs.

Unfortunately, 17 points isn’t enough to top this Cincinnati squad in most cases. The Bengals have averaged over 28 PPG across their last 11 contests, which now includes a 27-point performance against Baltimore in Week 18.

But in their first matchup of the year against Baltimore, Joe Burrow and co. didn’t have it so easy, as the Ravens managed to escape with a 19-17 victory in a contest the Bengals gained just 291 yards in. 

And quite frankly, they weren’t very good the second time around either, considering Cincy generated 27 points on just 257 total yards thanks to four Ravens’ turnovers in last week’s contest.

If Jon Harbaugh’s squad finds a way to win this game, I’ll be totally stunned. But the Ravens have now held their opponent to less than 17 points in seven of their last nine matchups, which makes it very difficult to beat this team by a wide margin.

So, instead of laying double-digits with Cincy here, your safest bet is probably the ‘under.’ The only way this contest stays remotely competitive, is on the heels of a strong defensive performance from Baltimore, which should be on the table after holding the Bengals’ offense to less than 295 total yards in both regular season matchups between these division rivals.

Score Prediction: Bengals 23, Ravens 13
Best Bet: Under 40.5 (-110)

Take the Under!

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BALTIMORE RAVENS vs. CINCINNATI BENGALS BETTING ODDS

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BALTIMORE RAVENS vs. CINCINNATI BENGALS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Sunday, January 15, 2023
Matchup: AFC North
Venue: Paycor Stadium
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
TV-Time: NBC, 8:15 p.m. ET

BALTIMORE RAVENS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Ravens looked like one of the best teams in football out of the gate this season, and surprisingly, since Lamar’s injury, they’ve actually added merit to that claim, despite their record taking a slight dip in the meantime.

Everybody knows what Baltimore’s offense is capable of with Lamar in the driver’s seat, but without him, it’s pure chaos. The Ravens have now scored 16 points or less in six straight games, yet somehow, they still managed to squeak out a record of 3-3 during that span.

In the waking days of the season, all the questions surrounding Baltimore resided on the defensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, though, the Ravens’ defense is finally back in the saddle, but now, their offense is stuck in quicksand.

With the way their defense dominated throughout the second half, the Ravens would’ve been a popular darkhorse pick to win the AFC if they were healthy. But now, with all the contract controversy in Baltimore, we might never see Lamar lead this squad to an AFC title game. Which would truly be a shame, because they’ve had such a special formula with Lamar over the last handful of years.

CINCINNATI BENGALS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Bengals certainly weren’t the most popular pick to represent the conference in last year’s Super Bowl, which wasn’t all that surprising, considering their offense always stood a step below other top shelf contenders like Kansas City and Buffalo, and their defense ranked in the middle of the pack allowing over 22 PPG.

This Bengals’ team is much different now, though, considering Cincy’s defense finished sixth in the league in scoring this season, which ultimately, is the factor capable of setting this squad apart from the rest of the bunch, especially when combined with an offensive unit ranked seventh in scoring at 26.1 PPG.

Cincy’s defense has improved by leaps and bounds this year, and now that the Bengals rank Top 10 in the league on both sides of the ball, this squad is feared for a variety of reasons, and they’re no longer reliant on jackpot performances by Burrow in order to compete at the highest level. 

It’s always tough to beat a team by a double-digit margin, though, especially when the opposing defense ranks Top 5 in the league in scoring. So, the ‘under’ still strikes me as the best play in Sunday night's matchup.

BALTIMORE RAVENS vs. CINCINNATI BENGALS BETTING TRENDS

• The total has gone UNDER in five of Baltimore's last six games.
• The Ravens are 6-3 SU in their last nine matchups against Cincinnati.
• The Bengals are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of Cincinnati's last six games.
• The Bengals are 8-0 SU in their last eight games.
• The Bengals are 6-0 SU in their last six home games.
• The Ravens are 6-3 ATS in their last nine road games.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson