The Cincinnati Bengals can advance to the AFC Championship Game for the second straight year with a win against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.
Cincinnati’s regular-season home game against Buffalo was canceled due to Damar Hamlin‘s cardiac arrest Jan. 2. The Bills, the No. 2 seed in the AFC, are coming off a 34-31 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.
The Bengals also held off a division rival in their wild-card win Sunday. Cincinnati defeated Baltimore 24-17, thanks to Sam Hubbard‘s 98-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
This was a highly anticipated regular-season game that never was played. Now the Bengals and Bills will get the chance to square off.
Here’s a look at Cincinnati vs Buffalo best bets.
Bengals vs Bills Odds
The Bills are a five-point favorite on Caesars Sportsbook as of Tuesday morning, yet other sites had them listed with a 4.5-point advantage. Buffalo is favored due to its home-field advantage and the fact it enters with an eight-game winning streak.
Cincinnati is listed as a +196 moneyline underdog, meaning a $100 bet would yield $196 in profit. The Bills are a -240 favorite, meaning a bettor would need to wager $240 to win $100 or would claim about $0.42 profit per dollar bet.
Take a look at the best Bengals odds and Bills odds for the 2022 NFL season.
Bengals vs Bills Implied Totals
Bills 26.5, Bengals 21.5
Buffalo ranks second in the NFL, averaging 28.2 points per game. They are allowing the second-fewest points per game (17.9).
The Bengals rank seventh in scoring offense (26.1 per game) and sixth in scoring defense (20.1 per game).
Bengals vs Bills Pick of the Day
Read more on this Bengals vs Bills bet below.
Bengals vs Bills Prediction
Bills 31, Bengals 28
This game has all the makings of a classic. The NFL rightly canceled the highly anticipated first game between the clubs after Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter, but if you’re as big a football fan as me you’ve been hoping they’d get a chance to play a full game in the postseason.
These are two of the AFC’s elite teams, and each is coming in on fire. Buffalo hasn’t lost in more than two months, and the Bengals are 13-2 in their past 15 games after an 0-2 start.
Cincinnati hasn’t suffered a defeat since falling 32-13 at Cleveland on Halloween.
Both teams should be in their preferred element too. The Bills have won four straight home playoff games and haven’t lost a postseason game at Highmark Stadium in more than 26 years.
Joe Burrow guided the Bengals to two road playoff wins, at Tennessee and Kansas City, en route to the Super Bowl last year.
Find more Bengals vs Bills betting plays
- Bet our favorite Bengals vs Bills Props.
- Get the best Bengals vs Bills Parlays.
So why does Buffalo get the edge? Because it is at home, and has been a little better than Cincinnati in every facet, especially defensively.
Buffalo was fifth-best against the run (1,673 yards), and Cincinnati was sixth. The Bills were ninth in passing yards allowed, and the Bengals were 16th.
The Bengals offensive line is a little banged up, which also could play in Buffalo’s favor. The Bills should win a close game as long as quarterback Josh Allen does a better job at protecting the ball — no gimme since he had two interceptions and lost a fumble in the game against Miami.
Bengals vs Bills Bet Tips
Here are a few Bengals vs Bills betting trends to consider before making your bets:
- The Over has hit in four straight Bills playoff games and five of the past six.
- Cincinnati’s past six postseason games have been decided by seven points or less.
- Burrow was 18 days old when Buffalo lost its last home playoff game in 1996.
Bengals vs Bills Best Bets
Bengals +5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
I don’t think anyone would be stunned to see Cincinnati walk into Buffalo and win, especially with the way the Bengals won on the road last season. I think it would be more surprising if the Bills win in a blowout.
A five-point spread seems way too high given these teams’ rosters, skill levels and star power. There have been classic games decided by more than five — notably the Chiefs’ six-point win over the Bills a year ago — but given how close these teams are, taking Cincinnati to cover is the play.
You can now bet on the Bengals with these Ohio sportsbooks.
Over 48 Points (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
As stated above, these teams are hot, especially offensively. Buffalo has scored 30-plus points in four straight games, and Cincinnati has put up at least 22 in six straight.
Cincinnati is going to need to put up points to keep the game close. It is more than capable of doing so with Burrow, receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, plus running back Joe Mixon.
Buffalo’s divisional-round loss to KC in 2022 had 76 points. This one may not have that many, but 50-plus seems like a no-doubter.
Want to bet on the Bills? Check out the best NY sportsbooks.
