The Raiders and Bengals clash on Saturday in Cincinnati.
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The Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals clash in a postseason matchup on Saturday.
Las Vegas won by the skin of their teeth last week against the Chargers in a thrilling overtime contest. The Raiders needed either a tie or a victory to clinch a postseason berth, and they did what they needed to do. But now, they will be tested against a red-hot Bengals team that is well-rested.
Cincinnati had a meaningless matchup against Cleveland last week, so they opted to rest the majority of their starters. The Bengals have been playing great with the exception of last week’s loss, and they will look to keep rolling in round one of the postseason.
Both teams ended up with the same record at 10-7 following the conclusion of the regular season. This matchup projects as a highly competitive game that should be very enjoyable to watch.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense have been terrific as of late, while the Raiders won each of their last two games by just three points.
Las Vegas may not be able to get away with such a close manner of winning against this Cincinnati offensive unit that has been firing on all cylinders. The Raiders are going to need a strong defensive effort while Derek Carr and the offense put up points on the scoreboard.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 P.M. EST at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, OH.
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NFL – Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals Betting Trends
Las Vegas Raiders:
- Las Vegas is 8-9 ATS this year.
- The Raiders are 5-4 ATS following a win.
- They are 4-4 ATS away from home.
- Las Vegas is 7-4 ATS as an underdog.
- The Raiders 4-2 ATS as a road underdog.
- They are 5-3 SU on the road.
- Las Vegas is 7-4 SU as an underdog.
Cincinnati Bengals:
- Cincinnati is 10-7 ATS this season.
- The Bengals are 4-2 ATS following a defeat.
- They are 4-5 ATS at home.
- Cincinnati is 4-4 ATS as a favorite.
- The Bengals are 2-3 ATS as a home favorite.
- They are 5-4 SU at home.
- Cincinnati is 5-3 SU as a favorite.
Betting Odds
The Bengals are the favorites according to the majority of sportsbooks. But Las Vegas excels as the underdog, as evidenced by their 7-4 straight-up record when favored to lose.
The Raiders are versatile in the way they approach the game. They don’t have just one game plan, which they stick to regardless of the circumstances.
Some days they will ask Derek Carr to air it out, and he might end up with over 300 yards and a few touchdowns. But that was not the case last week against the Chargers.
While Carr did find the endzone twice through the air, the quarterback totaled just 186 passing yards.
Last week it was the run game that carried the Las Vegas offense. More specifically, it was Josh Jacobs who carried the Vegas offense.
Jacobs ran for an astounding 132 yards to go along with a touchdown. There is a very real chance that the Chargers would have cruised to a victory had Jacobs not performed as he did.
The Raiders finished just 28th in rushing yards per game during the regular season as well, which only makes Jacob’s statline more impressive.
However, Las Vegas was defeated the last time they played Cincinnati back on November 21st. The offense was unable to get going as Carr finished with just over 200 yards to go along with one touchdown and one interception, while the running game posted just 72 yards on the ground.
The offense was burned by Cincinnati running back Joe Mixon, who scored twice and added 123 yards. Joe Burrow threw just 29 times and finished with under 150 yards, but the Bengals won regardless.
If Cincinnati can win when Burrow turns in an underwhelming performance such as that, one has to wonder what will happen if Burrow plays as he has been over the past few weeks.
He did not play last week due to rest. But in the two weeks prior, Burrow combined to throw for 971 passing yards and eight touchdowns. He is quickly developing into the elite quarterback many predicted he would be coming out of LSU, and the Bengals are reaping the benefits.
Cincinnati finished the regular season as the seventh-ranked team in points per game. Although the majority of their offense stems from the passing attack, running back Joe Mixon had a number of big games during the season and finished with over 1,200 yards on the ground.
So once again, the Bengals are favorites in this matchup for a number of reasons. They are well-rested, playing at home, and have one of the hottest offenses in the NFL.
Best Betting Odds to Bet Online
The Bengals are favored by just under a touchdown in this matchup. But the Raiders are a hard team to count out given their strong performance in underdog scenarios.
How To Bet On: Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals NFL Betting lines
The Raiders have been one of the best underdog teams to bet on this season with their winning record against the spread as an underdog.
But this Cincinnati team has an offense that is playing out of their mind right now and a defense that is good enough to contain Las Vegas.
I like the Bengals at -5.5 in this game. I believe it will be competitive throughout, but Cincinnati will pull away at the end.
OBS Betting Picks for Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals
Betting Picks: Take the Cincinnati Bengals -5.5.
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All Betting odds are courtesy of BetUS.
NFL:
- New England Patriots +5
- Buffalo Bills -5
Betting Pick: Buffalo Bills -5
Take Buffalo at home against their rival on Saturday night.
NHL:
- Vancouver Canucks +1.5
- Carolina Hurricanes -1.5
Betting Pick: Carolina Hurricanes -1.5
Look for the Hurricanes to cover at home.
- Buffalo Sabres +1.5
- Detroit Red Wings -1.5
Betting Pick: Detroit Red Wings -1.5
Detroit should be able to take care of business in this one.