Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Matchup Preview (12/26/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Matchup Preview (12/26/21)

The Baltimore Ravens (8-6) visits Cincinnati to play their AFC North division foe, Bengals (8-6) in week 16; with the Bengals in first place due to the tiebreaker with the Ravens.  The Ravens lost in week 15, 31-30 to the Green Bay Packers, coming up short on a two-point conversion for the second time in three weeks.  Baltimore has allowed at least 30 points five times this season, the most such games in a season in the John Harbaugh era per NFL.com.  The Bengals are coming off a road victory over the Denver Broncos, 15-10.  In their last four home games, Cincinnati is 1-3, averaging 25.5 points per game.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Ravens Betting Odds

The Bengals are a 2.5-point home favorite over the Ravens.  In the teams’ last matchup, Cincinnati blew out Baltimore, 41-17 in week 7.  The Ravens are 7-7 against the spread in 2021; 3-4 on the road.  Cincinnati is 1-5 against the spread in their last six home games.  Baltimore is 5-1 against the spread in their last six games as a road underdog.

My Prediction: Bengals win 28-23, Bengals cover and over 44.5 points.

TV Schedule

Date: 12/26/21
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: Paul Brown Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
TV Coverage: CBS

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Live Stream

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Baltimore Ravens Analysis

This season, Baltimore is averaging 385.6 yards of total offense per game, while scoring 23.9 points per game, ranking them 16^th in the NFL.  

Tyler Huntley started his second game of the season in place of Lamar Jackson.  Against the Packers in week 15, he was 28-40 for 215 yards, two touchdowns and on the ground, he ran for 73 yards and a touchdown.  The second-year pro from Utah has started two games for the Ravens in 2021 going 1-1.  Playing in five games this season he has thrown for 743 yards, rushed for 168 and accounted for five touchdowns (three passing and two rushing).  Huntley has shown he’s a quality backup and could be of interest to other teams come the off-season.  Lamar Jackson who’s nursing an ankle injury has accounted for 3,649 yards of total offense and 18 touchdowns this season (16 passing and two rushing).  As of midweek he is questionable for the game this weekend against the Bengals.

Besides Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews might be the most important player on the Ravens offense.  Against Green Bay in week 15 he had 10 catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns.  Andrews became the first tight end with at least 1,000 receiving yards in a season; he currently has 1,062.  Additionally, he has a team leading 85 catches and eight touchdowns in 2021.  The former Oklahoma Sooner has had at least 100 yards receiving and one or more touchdowns in a game five times in his career.  He has four games of at least 100 yards receiving this season; tied for most games in a season in Baltimore history per NFL.com. 

Baltimore’s ground game is averaging 144.7 yard per game, ranking them third in the NFL.  

Per NFL.com, the Ravens have rushed for at least 100 yards and one or more touchdowns 36 times since 2019.  Against the Packers the trio of Tyler Huntley, Latavius Murray, Devonta Foreman ran for 143 yards.  Lamar Jackson leads the team in rushing with 767 yards; averaging 63.9 rushing yards per game. 

On the defensive side the Ravens are allowing 351.1 total yards of offense to their opponents, ranking them 19^th in the NFL.  They’re allowing 22.5 points per game, ranking them 19^th in the league.  Injuries have completely decimated Baltimore’s secondary and they’re extremely vulnerable in the passing game, allowing 264.9 passing yards per game which ranks them 31^st in the league.  

Baltimore Ravens Depth Chart

QB: Lamar Jackson
RB1: Latvius Murray
RB2: Tyson Williams
WR1: Marqise Brown
WR2: Sammy Watkins
WR3: Rashod Bateman
TE1: Mark Andrews

Cincinnati Bengals Analysis

In 2021, Cincinnati is averaging 350.9 yards of total offense per game, while scoring 26.4 points per game, ranking them ninth in the NFL.  

In the victory over Denver, Joe Burrow completed 68.2% of his passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.  He has thrown 12 touchdown passes of at least 30 yards this season; single-season franchise record.  In 2021, the first pick in the 2020 draft has thrown for 3,640 yards, 26 touchdowns while completing 68.7% of his passes with a quarterback rating of 100.7.   Burrow has thrown six touchdown passes in his last five games, while the Bengals are 3-2 in those games.

Joe Mixon ran for 58 yards in the tough road victory at Denver in week 15.  He has scored 14 touchdowns overall this season, the most by a Cincinnati running back since 2001.  The former Oklahoma Sooner is second in the league in rushing with 1,094 yards and has 12 touchdowns on the ground: averaging 78.1 yards per game in 2021.  Mixon has rushed for over 100 yards in two of his last five games.

Rookie Ja’Marr Chase leads the Bengals in receiving.  He has 61 receptions for 1,038 yards (ninth in the NFL) and 10 touchdowns.  The first rounder out of LSU is averaging 74.1 yards per game and averaging a tremendous 17 yards per reception this season.  Chase is currently +400 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.  Tee Higgins in the victory over Denver, averaged 11.5 yards per reception.  He has 59 receptions and is second on the team in receiving yards with 835.  Higgins has four touchdowns on the season: averaging 14.2 yards per reception.  

The Bengals are allowing 21.6 points per game, ranking them 11^th in the league and 345.7 total yards of offense to their opponents this season.  The Bengals pass rush has 40 sacks on the season (tied for third in the NFL).  Per NFL.com, the Bengals defense has at least two sacks in eight straight games, tied for their longest streak since at least 1982.  Trey Hendrickson leads the team with 13 sacks.  Against Denver, he had a half a sack, but had gone the previous nine games with at least one sack.  Additionally, Hendrickson has 10 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hits.  Defensive end Sam Hubbard is second on the team in sacks with 7.5 and has 12 tackles for loss in 2021.

Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart

QB: Joe Burrow
RB1: Joe Mixon
RB2: Samaje Perine
WR1: Ja’Marr Chase
WR2: Tee Higgins
WR3: Tyler Boyd
TE1: C.J. Uzomah
TE2: Drew Sample

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Daily Fantasy Picks

Marquise Brown is second on the Ravens in receptions (80), receiving yards (909) and touchdown catches (six), while averaging 11.6 yards per catch in 2021.  In 43 career games, he has 21 receiving touchdowns.  

With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins bottled up against Denver in week 15, Tyler Boyd had five catches for 96 yards and a touchdown in the victory over the Broncos.  Boyd is second on the team in receptions with 60.  Additionally, he has 707 receiving yards and three touchdowns.  In 2021, he’s averaging 50.5 receiving yards per game.