Thursday’s matchup is a tale of two teams trending in the same direction. Cincinnati just had a four-game winning streak snapped at home by the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, Baltimore also saw their four-game winning streak interrupted at home by the Cleveland Browns.
Please join me as I take a closer look at the NFL betting odds and offer a prediction for Bengals vs. Ravens on Thursday, November 16.
Bengals vs. Ravens Betting Odds Analysis
Baltimore opened as a -140 favorite, but that moneyline number now sits at -190. That’s a monster jump for a Thursday night matchup that opened on Sunday. Perhaps watching the Bengals offense struggle at home without wideout Tee Higgins was the reason.
The Ravens opened as a +1.0 (-110) underdog and currently are -3.5 (-110) at Caesars Ohio. That number was bet right past the key number three, which isn’t good for Baltimore backers.
The oddsmakers at Caesars set the total at 44.0 (-110), which rose two points to 46.0 (-110). Maybe bettors watched a mediocre Cleveland offense score 33 points against the Ravens’ defense and figured so can Cincinnati.
Bengals vs. Ravens Best Bet
Thursday night should provide an interesting start to Week 11.
The Bengals scored consecutive victories over Buffalo and San Francisco but then went a bit flat in their home loss to Houston. Meanwhile, the Ravens lambasted Detroit during their four-game winning streak but blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead and lost to Cleveland.
This is a rematch of their Week 2 meeting. Baltimore snuck out of Cincinnati with a three-point victory, but both teams are healthier than they were at the time, and Thursday should be just as close as the first meeting.
This is a short week for both sides, and my best bet is for Cincinnati to win this game. These two groups are very familiar with each other, and there won’t be any surprises at all.
Thursday night games are dicey for both sides – neither team has much chance to practice or heal from Sunday. It’s more like a street game, and chemistry matters. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase won a national championship together at LSU.
They reached a Super Bowl and two consecutive AFC Championship games. They’ve hooked up for five TDs over their past five contests, and I like Cincinnati’s chances because of this chemistry.
This is a game Cincinnati needs to win, and they have covered the spread in four of their last five. If not for a pair of Joe Burrow fourth-quarter interceptions, the Bengals would’ve come from behind and beaten Houston. They’ve beaten the Ravens in four of their past six, and I believe they will win this game on Thursday.
My Best Bet: Cincinnati +167 at bet365 sportsbook Ohio
