Baltimore Ravens (6-7) @ Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)
Sunday, December 14, 1:00 PM ET
Back in September, who could have possibly imagined that a Week 15 showdown between the Bengals and Ravens would feature two teams trending closer to picking in the top 10 of next year’s NFL Draft than two teams fighting it out for position atop the AFC North?
To be fair, the AFC North is bad enough this year that both outcomes remain within the realm of possibility, but these two teams are also both coming off of annoyingly bad losses.
The Ravens have looked worse in recent weeks than the Bengals with Joe Burrow, and in fact, Burrow’s first game back was a dominant win on the road against these same Ravens on Thanksgiving night. The Bengals got them so good that night that Burrow was counting down the play clock for his center.
This Ravens team has lost its mojo. They were one of the most dominant offensive outfits in the NFL a season a go, and you can blame any number of factors that led them to the 6-7 record they have today, but even when everyone is healthy, they aren’t playing at a high level.
The Bengals have been awesome offensively for a good chunk of this season, even without Joe Burrow for most of it. They can put up points in bunches, but two bone-headed plays on Sunday from Burrow buried the Bengals against the Bills. It was tough to watch, because it looked like they had the Bills on the ropes, playing in the elements on the road.
This is a matchup that you wish had a little more juice. Even if the Bengals had found a way to win a gainst the Bills on Sunday, this game would be a lot more intriguing. I’m shocked that Baltimore is a 1.5-point favorite on the road here, especially with the way Burrow has played since returning to the lineup, and definitely considering how the last matchup between these two teams went.
I like the Bengals at home.
Prediction: Bengals win 31-27