Two AFC powerhouses are set to clash in the upcoming Week 9 Sunday Night Football as the Buffalo Bills take on the Cincinnati Bengals.
Back in Week 8, the Bills narrowly secured a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, finishing 24-18.
With a 5-3 record, Buffalo is scoring an average of 20.75 points in its last four matchups and is just one game behind the Miami Dolphins for the top spot in the AFC East.
Meanwhile, the Bengals clinched a surprising 31-17 triumph over the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday in San Francisco, marking their third consecutive victory.
Cincinnati has come out on top in four of their last five games, a streak bolstered by their robust defence, which has consistently held opponents to 27 points or fewer throughout the season.
We’ve previewed the upcoming matchup, picking out some of our best betting tips from the latest NFL betting odds.
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Bills vs Bengals Matchup
Two of the AFC’s elite quarterbacks and defensive units go head-to-head on Sunday Night Football this week.
Last season, the Bengals ousted the Bills during the AFC divisional round, and their scheduled Monday night encounter was called off after Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field.
The Bengals have made a remarkable turnaround from their initial 0-2 slump. Although their offense experienced a rocky start in the first four games, it has since hit its stride, now boasting an average of 27.3 points per game during their winning spree.
Conversely, the Bills came out strong with a 3-1 record, yet they’ve found themselves in a series of tight one-possession battles lately, including an unexpected Week 7 defeat by the New England Patriots.
Over the last four games, the Bills’ offense has encountered setbacks, not managing to break the 25-point mark during their surprising 2-2 run.
This game against the Bengals might just ignite Josh Allen and the Bills’ ground game, which hasn’t quite found its footing this season.
Dropping from seventh in the league last year with an average of 139.5 rushing yards per game to 14th this year with 113.1, Buffalo is looking to regain its past form.
Bills vs Bengals Prediction
The Bengals have had their share of nail-biters at Paycor Stadium, and this one promises to be just as tight.
Cincinnati’s offence has been muted at home, with a 20-point game average, and faces a formidable challenge against a Buffalo defence that’s only allowed 54 points across three away games.
The big question is whether the Bengals defence can put the brakes on Buffalo’s dynamic offense, which ranks fourth in points and fifth in yards per game (376.9), despite some recent hiccups.
Buffalo appears to have a slight edge in exploiting matchups with Cincinnati, tipping the scales in their favour when it comes to recording what would be a huge win.
Best NFL Bets
Buffalo Bills to Win @ 2.09
Buffalo’s performance under the primetime lights hasn’t been stellar this season.
They’ve managed a 2-1 record in evening fixtures, but with only an average of 18 points and 346 yards per game.
Yet, with Buffalo entering the middle game of a trio of primetime appearances, it could well be that their growing rivalry with the Bengals could spur them on to elevate their game.
It makes little sense to bet on Buffalo with a +3 spread, as if Cincinnati does triumph, it will probably be by a margin greater than a mere two points, so backing them outright is the better bet.
Under 48.5 Points @ 2.05
While both teams boast impressive offensive talent, it’s their defensive units that have shone in 2023.
In six of Buffalo’s eight matches and five of Cincinnati’s seven, the total points haven’t surpassed 49.
Also, games under the lights have consistently fallen short of high scoring this season, with this trend being particularly pronounced on Sunday nights, where the Under is 6-2.
Expect this pattern to continue on Sunday Night Football and take the Under in what could be something of a chess game.
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