NFL Week 10 begins Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium, with the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Cincinnati Bengals.
Baltimore enters this game with a 6-3 record, having won six of its past seven games after starting 0-2. Meanwhile, Cincinnati also got off to a bad start, slumping to 1 win and 4 losses, but stabilized with 3 wins last month.
These two divisional rivals met earlier this season and it was one of the most memorable matchups of the first half of the year. Baltimore won after going up 10-0 in the fourth quarter to force overtime. In overtime, a Lamar Jackson fumble looked like the Ravens were going to lose, but Bengals placekicker Evan McPherson’s missed 53-yard field goal gave Baltimore some new life and a chip shot. I got it back in the game. -Justin Tucker Winner.
If this head-to-head matchup is anything like the last one, we’ll be in for a good fight. For more information on the game and how to watch it, check out the full preview below.
Where to watch Bengals at Ravens
When the Bengals have the ball
Joe Burrow had one of his better performances of the season in Week 9. The Bengals quarterback threw five touchdowns in the win against Las Vegas. The last time he gave up that many points was in Week 5 against the Ravens, albeit in a loss. In addition to his five touchdown passes, Burrow had little trouble cutting through Baltimore’s secondary, completing 30 of 39 passes for a season-high 392 yards. The Ravens are allowing 7.4 yards per pass attempt, the third-highest number in the league, so aerial attack will likely be the offensive plan again.
The person to rely on in this game will be star wideout Ja’Marr Chase, who exploded in the last game against Baltimore. Back in Week 5, Chase had 10 catches for 193 yards and two receiving touchdowns. This was the third-highest receiving yardage total of his career.
Despite Chase’s dominance, Cincinnati’s offense will likely take a hit as it will likely be without receiver Tee Higgins, who remains sidelined with a quadriceps injury. He is officially listed as questionable to play. This season, the Bengals are averaging 28.6 points per game when Higgins plays, compared to 23.3 points per game when Higgins plays, so the point difference with Higgins is is almost 6 points. This year’s team is 3-2 with him, but 1-3 without him.
To pick up the slack on the football, Cincinnati may choose to rely on Chase Brown and the ground game. Brown had a career-high 157 yards from scrimmage last week and has five touchdowns in his last six games. With Zack Moss (neck) out indefinitely, the Bengals could also consider backfield touches in a trade for Khalil Herbert.
when the ravens have the ball
Baltimore has enjoyed one of the NFL’s most potent offenses throughout the first half of the year. A big part of that was due to the duo of Jackson and Derrick Henry hitting opponents on the ground. Already, Henry has 11 total rushing touchdowns and over 1,000 yards on the ground (1,052 yards). Henry has been off the charts this season, but the Bengals did a good job of quietly containing him in their last matchup until he exploded in overtime. During regulation for the Week 5 matchup, Henry gained 30 yards on 11 rushes and one touchdown. However, in overtime, he rushed for 62 yards on four attempts.
If they play like they did in regulation, it could slow Henry down in this game. But that just gives Jackson room to step back and pass, which he’s been doing at an elite level this season. Jackson currently leads the NFL in yards per pass attempt (9.3) and passer rating (120.7), and is tied for first in TD-INT ratio. He’s played by Zai Flowers, who has recorded over 100 yards receiving in four of the last five games, including a 111-yard performance against the Bengals’ secondary.
Important matchup between Bengals and Ravens
After a slow start to the season, Mark Andrews has started to improve in recent weeks. He has four touchdown receptions in the past four games and will be a strong matchup this week. The Bengals have been vulnerable to opposing tight ends all season, scoring the fourth-most touchdowns in the league. Andrews had a season-high 55 yards receiving against the Tigers earlier this year. If he is available for this game, coupled with the continued strong play of Jackson, Henry, and Flowers, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the Bengals to slow down this offense.
prediction
I don’t expect this matchup to require overtime. The Ravens are playing too well to falter at this point, and the trends Thursday night are pointing in their favor. Baltimore is 4-0 ATS in their last four games against the Bengals, and Jackson has historically dominated this matchup with a straight-up record of 9-1 as a starter. The Bengals have a perfect 4-0 record on the road this season, but it’s a bit hollow considering three of those road coverage games were against the Panthers, Giants, and Browns. This will be an even tougher test, so expect the Ravens to win by at least a touchdown.
Predicted score: Ravens 30, Bengals 23
Pick: Ravens -6
Bonus: SportsLine expert Mike Tierney is leaning towards the under this Thursday night game. Let’s take a look at who he’s leaning toward ATS in this AFC North showdown.
