Get a $500 Bonus on a $500 Deposit at BetUS!

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals NFL Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

The 4-3 Baltimore Ravens take on the 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday in a Week 9 AFC North Division battle. Last week, the Ravens ended their three-game skid with an impressive 30-7 victory over the then-undefeated Denver Broncos. Cincinnati was idle. These teams last met a few short weeks ago in Week 5 with the Bengals coming from behind to win 17-14 on a late touchdown drive. The win was the seventh in the last 10 meetings for the Bengals. NFL odds makers believe Baltimore will have its revenge this week, however, listing the Ravens as 3-point favorites with the total set at 43.5.

Are you ready to bet on the NFL? Bet your NFL picks at BetUS where our readers get up to 145% in sign up bonuses!

Carson Palmer is 7-3 in his career against Baltimore, but for him to improve on this mark, it will likely have more to do with Cedric Benson’s performance than his own. Benson has been sensational this season, rushing for 720 yards, on a 4.4 yards per carry average, and four touchdowns. In the first meeting against the Ravens, Benson became the first player to break the century mark against them since 2006. Being able to run the football on Baltimore is critical as it allows you to get the play action game going, which Carson Palmer and the offense did to defeat the Ravens the first time around. If the Bengals can run the football effectively against this week, Palmer has plenty of weapons to expose the Ravens through the air. It is worth noting that the Bengals are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog. If you like Cincinnati to sweep the season series, bet the Bengals at +3 at BetUS.

Ravens QB Joe Flacco is having a great season, throwing for 1,849 yards and 12 touchdowns. In fact, he has thrown at least one touchdown strike in seven straight games. But he is not yet at the level of Drew Brees or Peyton Manning in that he hasn’t been able to win many games with his arm alone. In fact, in Baltimore’s three defeats this season, the Ravens have thrown the football on 69.5 percent of the offensive plays. In their four wins, they have thrown it just 49.3 percent of the time. Offensive balance appears to be the recipe for success in Baltimore and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron must figure that out this week.

Both of these teams have played a lot of close games, and according to the odds makers, this one will be decided by a field goal. That means that Ravens kicker Steven Hauschka may have to come up with a big kick to win it. Hauschka missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired to cost the Ravens a win in Minnesota a couple weeks back. He rebounded from that performance to make all three of his kicks against the Broncos, but it’s a little bit easier to make them when in non-pressure situations. It is worth mentioning that the Ravens are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games as a favorite. If you like Baltimore to have its revenge, bet the Ravens at -3 at BetUS.

Jimmy Boyd’s 5* NFL Top Plays are on fire, having cashed in each of the last four Sundays. Last week, he nailed his 5* NFC Game of the Year with a 13-point outright winner on the 10.5-point underdog Panthers over the Cardinals. Make sure you sign up for Jimmy’s low-cost NFL expert picks package for another big winner this week!

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

Written by Jimmy Boyd on November 4, 2009 · Filed Under NFL Betting Articles, News & Previews

Comments

Got something to say?