Monday Night Football features a matchup of AFC powerhouses as the Buffalo Bills (12-3) take on the Cincinnati Bengals (11-4). This game will be played at Paycor Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 pm ET.
Buffalo comes into this one having won six straight games, including a 35-13 drubbing of the Chicago Bears last week. In the victory, Josh Allen threw for 172 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions; Devin Singletary had a nice game on the ground, rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries.
The Bengals have also been on a nice winning streak as they come in, having won seven in a row. Last week, they edged the Patriots 22-18 on the road. Joe Burrow threw for 375 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in the victory.
The Bills are the slight favorites despite playing on the road. They are -122 to win, while the Bengals’ moneyline sits at +104. The spread features Cincinnati as 1.5-point (-110) underdogs, and the over/under for total points is 49.5.
Bills Fighting For Top Overall Seed In AFC
At 12-3, the Bills would move into a tie with the Kansas City Chiefs for the top overall seed in the AFC with a win Monday night. Given the Bills beat Kansas City earlier in the year, they would hold the advantage and would put themselves in position for a bye in the first week of the playoffs.
To pick up the win, the Bills will rely on one of the best defenses and offenses in the league. On defense, they rank second overall, allowing opponents just 17.5 points per game.
Offensively, they rank fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 28 points per game (25.8 on the road). Josh Allen leads the high-octane offense, as he has thrown for 4,029 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Allen has also rushed for 746 yards and another seven touchdowns.
Allen’s favorite target through the air is Stefon Diggs. The 29-year-old receiver has 101 receptions for 1,325 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Bengals Still Fighting For Division
While the Bills have already secured the AFC East, the Bengals are still trying to tie up the AFC North. With the Ravens, who they will face in Week 18, right on their heels, this is a crucial game for Cincinnati.
Offensively, the Bengals also rank in the top 10 in the league as they come in sixth in scoring, averaging 26.1 points per game (29 at home). The offense is led under center by Joe Burrow. This season, he has thrown for 4,260 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Burrow has an abundance of riches when it comes to capable receivers as Tee Higgins (1,022 yards, seven touchdowns), Ja’Marr Chase (960 yards, eight touchdowns), and Tyler Boyd (711 yards, five touchdowns) have all had great seasons.
Defensively, the Bengals rank ninth in the NFL, allowing an average of 20.4 points per game (18.3 at home).
Take Cincinnati And The Points
Both of these two teams come in on long winning streaks, and both of these teams can get it done on both sides of the ball. As a potential playoff preview, and with both having a ton to play for, Monday night should be a lot of fun.
Looking at the trends, the Bills are 12-4 straight up and 11-5 against the spread in their last 16 games against the Bengals.
Despite their success in the past against Cincy, the Bills have struggled to cover this season. In fact, despite being 12-3, they are 7-7-1 against the spread. As for the Bengals, they are 12-3 against the spread and have covered in 11 of their last 12 games.
For that reason, expect this to be close throughout and take Cincinnati and the points in this one.
Take the Bengals +1.5 (-110).
