Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens Preview & Bet (12/14): Take Action on Jackson

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Take a deep dive into this AFC North battle, as our expert unveils his Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens preview & bet.

Another crucial division battle takes place in NFL Week 15, this one happening in Cincinnati as the 4-9 Bengals host the 6-7 Ravens.

These teams just met two weeks ago on Thanksgiving – a game that was arguably Baltimore’s worst outing of the season. In Joe Burrow’s return, he led Cincinnati to a 32-14 road win as a 7.5-point underdog.

Even with that result still fresh, oddsmakers are once again listing the Bengals as the dog. Is that warranted, or is the wrong team favored again? I’ll answer that in my Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens preview and bet.

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Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens Preview & Bet

Take a deep dive into this AFC North battle, as our expert unveils his Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens preview & bet.

Can Lamar Jackson and the Ravens limit their mistakes in their second meeting against the Bengals?

Bengals vs Ravens Preview

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens couldn’t have played much worse than they did in that Thanksgiving matchup between these division rivals. Baltimore turned the ball over five times – including an egregious pick from Jackson and four fumbles, one of them coming from Isaiah Likely as he was on his way to the end zone for what should’ve been a touchdown.

I think it’s safe to assume the Ravens won’t repeat a performance that rough. Still, their offense didn’t exactly take a meaningful step forward this past Sunday at home against the Steelers.

Pittsburgh has one of the league’s softer defenses, yet the Ravens mustered just 22 points in a 27-22 loss. There was a controversial call at the end that wiped out an Isaiah Likely touchdown, but even so – it shouldn’t have come down to that.

Jackson threw for only 219 yards, completing 19 of 35 passes with one touchdown and one interception, while adding 43 rushing yards on seven scrambles. Derrick Henry was fairly productive with 94 rushing yards, though he averaged just 3.8 yards per carry across 25 attempts.

On paper, Baltimore should be able to take a massive step forward offensively considering the defense they’re up against. Cincinnati is allowing the most points per game (31.8) and yards per game (410.5) in the NFL, and they rank dead last in both EPA per play and success rate allowed.

When these teams met two weeks ago, the Ravens actually outgained the Bengals 6.1 yards per play to 4.8. Baltimore also averaged 5.6 yards per carry compared to 3.9 for Cincinnati. Even though the Bengals ran 23 more plays (80–57), they gained only 36 more yards (382–346).

How different would that game have looked if Baltimore simply took care of the ball? Maybe Cincy still wins, but the Ravens almost certainly would’ve kept it close.

Still, let’s not kid ourselves: this Bengals offense is legit, and if they pull off another win, it shouldn’t shock anyone.

Baltimore’s defense, meanwhile, has its own flaws. The Ravens allow 24.6 points and 348 yards per game, ranking 21st in EPA per play and 15th in success rate allowed.

The good news for Baltimore is that their defense has taken major strides over the past month. Since Week 10, they rank third in overall success rate and 10th in EPA per play. They’ve jumped to first in rush EPA allowed, second in dropback success rate allowed, and sixth in rush success rate allowed.

The Bengals have improved against the run in that same span, but they still struggle everywhere else.

That’s the biggest separator entering Sunday – the defenses – and Baltimore holds the advantage there. On top of that, Cincinnati is dealing with key injuries: defensive end Trey Hendrickson is out, and wide receiver Tee Higgins remains in concussion protocol and is questionable.

Bengals vs Ravens Bet

I expect those factors to lead this game to a Ravens victory.

It’s incredibly difficult to beat the same team twice in a season – especially within a three-week span. Baltimore shot itself in the foot repeatedly in the first meeting and still practically outperformed Cincinnati offensively. Without the turnovers, we might be talking about a completely different result. Add in the defensive gap between these teams and the injuries on Cincinnati’s side, and all signs point to Baltimore having the advantage here.

I’m going to lay a bit more for the outright security and play the Ravens moneyline at -135. I do expect them to win by three or more, but I don’t mind paying the extra juice for the comfort.

Best Bet: Baltimore Ravens Moneyline (-135)

NFL Record: 79-62-1 (+7.36 units)

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