NFL Betting Prediction |
The AFC North title and an AFC wildcard spot will be up for grabs in this New Year’s Day matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The kick-off has been moved to 4:15 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on CBS.
Depending on the outcome of this game, Baltimore could either win the division and earn a first-round bye, or find itself in the familiar position of trying to get back to the Super Bowl as a wildcard team on the road. The Ravens come in at 11-4 straight-up (7-7-1 against the spread) with the total going ‘over’ in nine of their 15 games.
Baltimore has won seven of its last nine games but has hardly looked like a juggernaut in doing so with a 3-5-1 record ATS during that span. Last week it built a 20 point lead on Cleveland and had to hold onto win 20-14 as a 12.5-point home favorite. Consistency on offense continues to be a concern for a unit that is ranked 15th overall.
Cincinnati comes into this game at 9-6 SU and 8-5-2 ATS needing a win to clinch a wildcard berth. Last week it beat Arizona 23-16 as a 4.5-point home favorite with the total staying ‘under’ the 41-point line. The total has gone ‘over’ in 10 of its previous 14 games.
The Bengals have also struggled with consistency on offense behind rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, but much like Baltimore have relied on a defense that has done a good job at keeping its opponents out of the end zone. It is giving-up an average of just 19.9 points a game.
The Ravens are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games as favorites and 1-3-1 ATS in their last five games against the AFC. The total has gone ‘over’ in six of their last eight games on the road.
The Bengals are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games as underdogs, but 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games against the AFC. The total has gone ‘over’ in five of their last six home games.
The underdog in this series is 4-0-1 ATS in the last five meetings and the total has stayed ‘under’ in four of those games. Baltimore is 0-4-1 ATS in the last five meetings and 1-5 in their last six trips to Paul Brown Stadium.
Stick with the past trends this time around as the Bengals put a major crimp in the Ravens’ playoff plans with a win at home that ensures theirs.
The Pick: Cincinnati 20 Baltimore 17
