The Baltimore Ravens were so close to having a shot at the playoffs but last week’s loss to Pittsburgh did them in. Now they’ve been eliminated and head to Cincinnati in a game where both teams have little to play for. Meanwhile, the Bengals, who were eliminated weeks ago, are fresh off another disheartening loss. They fell in Houston on Saturday night when Randy Bullock missed a makeable game-winning field goal as time expired.
Moneyline: Bengals -140
Handicap/Spread Odds: Bengals -2.5
Total O/U: 41
Last 5 Meetings: (Road/Home – Spread/Total)
| 11/27/2016 | CIN 14 – BAL 19 | BAL -3.5 | U 41.5 |
| 1/3/2016 | BAL 16 – CIN 24 | BAL 10 | U 40.5 |
| 9/27/2015 | CIN 28 – BAL 24 | CIN 2.5 | O 45.5 |
| 10/26/2014 | BAL 24 – CIN 27 | CIN 2.5 | O 44.5 |
| 9/7/2014 | CIN 23 – BAL 16 | CIN 1 | U 43.5 |
On The Ravens Side of the Ball (8-7 Record, 7-7-1 ATS)
The Ravens have been an inconsistent team in 2016 – particularly on offense – and that’s what has sunken their playoff chances. Their offense has actually scored at least 23 points in three straight games – a notable feat considering they average just 22.0 points per game on the season – but they have still two of their last three. Their defense, which led the NFL in total yards allowed for most of the season, has slipped over the last three contests.
Overall, the Ravens just haven’t been good enough on offense – mostly due to a struggling rushing attack. They average 92.7 rushing yards per game, which is 26th in the NFL. As a result, they’ve had a tough time extending drives. They convert just 35.9% of their third downs, which is 26th in the NFL. That’s why the Ravens are where they are. It’ll be tough for them win on the road in this spot unless their running game overachieves.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/25/2016 | @PIT | L 27-31 | W 5.5 | O 46.5 |
| 12/18/2016 | PHI | W 27-26 | L -5 | O 41 |
| 12/12/2016 | @NE | L 23-30 | L 6 | O 45 |
| 12/4/2016 | MIA | W 38-6 | W -3.5 | O 41.5 |
| 11/27/2016 | CIN | W 19-14 | W -3.5 | U 41.5 |
On The Bengals Side of the Ball (5-9-1 Record, 5-9-1 ATS)
The Bengals have been quite lousy this season. Their one credible win was against the Miami when the Dolphins were still bad early on in the season. Other than that, their wins have come against the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns (twice) and the Philadelphia Eagles. These are all teams that have been horrible for the most part of the year.
The question in this spot will be what the Bengals mindset is. They are coming off back-to-back heartbreaking performances. They blew a 20-6 lead at home to Pittsburgh two weeks ago and then suffered a gut-wrenching loss on a missed field goal in Houston. Do they even care about this game or are they good enough to beat a team with a record above .500? Those are big question marks.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/24/2016 | @HOU | L 10-12 | W 3 | U 41.5 |
| 12/18/2016 | PIT | L 20-24 | L 3 | U 45.5 |
| 12/11/2016 | @CLE | W 23-10 | W -4.5 | U 42 |
| 12/4/2016 | PHI | W 32-14 | W -2 | O 42 |
| 11/27/2016 | @BAL | L 14-19 | L 3.5 | U 41.5 |
Quick Analysis
The Ravens are 7-7 on the year against the spread while the Bengals are at 5-9. While the Bengals have struggled straight up over the last month, they have actually covered the spread in three of their last four contests. As for the Ravens, they’ve lost two of three both straight up and against the spread. They are just 2-4 against the spread when posted as the underdog and 2-4 ATS when on the road. However, they have covered the spread in all five of their divisional games so far.
Prediction
Both teams are filled with veterans and both teams are led by savvy head coaches. Neither coach is on the chopping block, so expect both teams to come and try with a full effort in this one. We’ll tilt the scales slight in the Ravens favor, though. The Bengals are without a number of key starters, including A.J. Green and Gio Bernard. On top of that, the Bengals haven’t looked good against team with a winning record all year long. While the Ravens aren’t much better than .500, they look like they’re worth a play here as a small road dog against a team that’s 1-5 ATS against teams above .500 this year. Take the Ravens.
Pick: Ravens +2.5
Note: The betting odds are subject to change throughout the week leading up to kick-off, so please be aware of the possibility of line movements.
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