Cincinnati will aim to show last year was a blip when it faces off against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 of the regular season. The Ravens are another team that has not lived up to expectations in recent years but believes it has the firepower to make the postseason. This is a riveting early-season matchup and will show a lot about both sides by the time is is over.
Watch this regular season Week 1 matchup live on Sunday, September 10, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET
at Paul Brown Stadium.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Baltimore Ravens +3
Cincinnati Bengals -3
Over/Under 42.5
Odds Analysis
The oddsmakers believe these two teams have nearly identical talent levels, with the Bengals given the three-point advantage because of the home field. Bettors believe in Cincinnati more in this one as nearly two-thirds of the action is on the Bengals.
The scoring total is pretty low and the money is on the “under” with bettors expecting a low-scoring grind-it-out affair. Both teams have talented defenses.
Injury Report
Vontaze Burfict - The Bengals’ standout linebacker has been suspended for the first three games after a hit the NFL deemed dirty in the preseason. It’s a big loss, as Burfict is a great run-defender and is one of the best players on the Cincinnati defense.
John Ross -- The Bengals’ first-round pick suffered a knee injury in the preseason and may not play in this one. While he might be the fastest player in the NFL and is a big-play threat, the Bengals have enough other weapons to absorb the loss.
Joe Flacco -- The Ravens quarterback missed a significant chunk of action in the preseason with a back injury. He seems on pace to play in the opener, but has missed valuable action trying to build chemistry with his receivers. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Baltimore passing game is rusty early on.
Player To Watch
A.J. Green -- The Bengals didn’t have a good record last season and the absence of Green was a big reason why. He had 964 yards in 2016 despite missing six games and will aim to remain healthy all year.
He is ready to go in this one but will be tested by a strong Ravens secondary. Baltimore has some solid cornerbacks and free safety Eric Weddle is a big help patrolling the deep center field.
Green is so talented that he’s going to pull in his fair share of catches, but if Baltimore can keep him from having a huge game, it will help the Ravens’ chances at pulling the upset.
Free ATS Pick
The spread in this one isn’t high enough. The oddsmakers might be fooled by last season’s performance but the Bengals should be much better with Green and Tyler Eifert ready to catch passes from Andy Dalton. Joe Mixon has been added to the backfield and an offense that struggled to put up points in 2016 will improve.
The Ravens have a solid defense but the offense has question marks. If Flacco is healthy he has a new target to throw to in Jeremy Maclin, but Flacco has been inconsistent the past couple of seasons. This one could be a defensive battle but Cincinnati has enough weapons on offense to pick up a critical score late to secure the win.
The Bengals are the choice to cover this spread, while the “under” is the pick as Baltimore is not going to put up very many points. Cincinnati will show that it is going to be a turnaround season with a nice victory against a quality foe.
NFL Odds: Bengals 20, Ravens 16
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