Baltimore vs. Cincinnati (BAL -2.5, 49.5)
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Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals | Sunday, October 6th, 2024
The early afternoon slate on Sunday is headlined by a mouthwatering clash between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens. This is borderline must-win territory for Cincinnati, who do not want to slip to a 1-4 record, so they will be relieved that they get to do battle with one of the NFL’s hottest teams in their home stadium. Both the Ravens and Bengals are coming off impressive offensive performances, with each team registering over 30 points in Week 4. The Bengals looked sharp against the Carolina Panthers, but the Ravens are the team riding high on confidence after landing 35 points on a strong Buffalo Bills side.
The Ravens could do whatever they wanted on the ground against Buffalo, unleashing Derrick Henry for 199 yards, in a game where Lamar Jackson only had to complete 13 passes to get the win. Jackson was very efficient on those limited passes, generating 156 yards and two touchdowns. He looks to have picked up right where he left off in MVP form, and with Henry lining up alongside him, there may not be a more daunting duo in the entire NFL at the moment.
They will be a particularly daunting picture for the Cincinnati Bengals' defense, who are giving up 145.5 yards per game on the ground, which is tied for 25th worst in the NFL. They were soft against the run in the 2023 season, and it doesn’t appear as if any improvements have been made this time around. That is a very dangerous situation for a team that has to play Baltimore twice every year. Don’t be surprised to see Henry and Lamar run for fun on this defense, tiring them out, and helping Baltimore control the game.
The good news for Cincinnati is that they also have game-breaking talent on their offensive roster. After a slow start to the season, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and now Tee Higgins have really started to hit their groove. Their 944 passing yards are sixth-best in the NFL, which is impressive given how sluggish the offense was in Week One. And, in the same way that this game is a dream matchup for the Ravens' run game, it is also a dream matchup for the Cincinnati passing game. Baltimore's secondary has shown signs of vulnerability throughout the early stages of this first season for defensive coordinator Zack Orr. They have conceded the fourth-most passing yards with 1,030, which is a stat that will please Joe Burrow. The Bengals know they will need to score points in this game to keep up with Baltimore, and Burrow’s arm is a pretty reliable tool to lean on.
J.A. Cavalier swept his NFL Triple Crown in week 4 with The Bears, Colts and the Jaguars and we smashed 3 two team parlays. He likes the card this week even more. 6-0 NFL Guarantee. 3 straight, 3 parlays. One Week NFL $99 must go 6-0 or entire NFL season free. Straight through Super Bowl
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Bengals +2.5