DE Sam Hubbard is out indefinitely with a calf injury and is unlikely to suit up. Hubbard has 53 tackles and 6.5 sacks this season and will be replaced by 2nd-year DE Cam Sample. The Bengals DE has 23 tackles with a pair of sacks this season.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Betting Preview
The Bengals can sow up the AFC North title with a victory and are currently -6 point home favorites when the two rivals square off Sunday, January 8, 2023, at Paycor Stadium.
Baltimore has its share of injuries – QB Lamar Jackson hasn’t played since a Week 13 knee injury and has yet to practice this week. QB2 Tyler Huntley suffered a Week 17 wrist injury and is questionable for Sunday. If neither QB suits up, Baltimore will turn to rookie QB Anthony Brown to lead the team.
Without much of a passing game, Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins has rushed for 93+ yards in three of his last four and will need to be the workhorse for an offense scoring 59 points over their previous five matchups.
The Ravens’ defense has allowed 61 points over their past five contests but hasn’t played an offense as good as the Bengals offer. Baltimore is 8th in defensive DVOA and is better against the rush than the pass.
That bodes well for Bengals QB Joe Burrow and an offense scoring 126 points over their last five. Burrow has thrown for 270+ yards in three of his past five, with two or more TD passes in each of his previous four games.
The Cincinnati defense has been equally impressive–they’ve allowed 24 points or less in each of their past five and allow the 5th-fewest rushing yards per game.
Ravens-Bengals Best Bet: Bengals -6
The Bengals -6 is your best bet for this game, which has odds of -110 at FanDuel sportsbook.
Cincinnati is 12-3 ATS this season and 5-1 ATS at Paycor Stadium. The Bengals are 8-0 ATS over their last eight contests and should cover the spread at home, where they are 5-1 ATS. Baltimore is 5-3 ATS as the away team, but their injury issues at QB will make it difficult for the Ravens to score enough to cover the number against a stout Bengals defense.
Finally, a Bengals victory gives them the AFC North title, and Cincinnati wants to win this game badly. The Bengals are coming off what amounts to a bye week and face a struggling offense they can stop and a defense they can score points on. Burrow will sling it against the banged-up Ravens secondary, and Cincinnati will cover the -6 at Paycor Stadium.
