The Cincinnati Bengals (10-4) carry a six-game winning streak into a Week 16 visit to the New England Patriots (7-7) at Gillette Stadium.
Cincinnati comes into the conference clash having notched a 34-23 road victory over the Buccaneers in Week 15, while the Patriots suffered a jaw-dropping 30-24 loss to the Raiders on the final play of the game.
Let’s dive into our Cincinnati vs New England best bets, predictions, and betting tips for Saturday’s key battle.
Bengals vs Patriots Odds
The Bengals’ status as 3.5-point road favorites on Caesars Sportsbook as of Tuesday, Dec. 20, isn’t surprising when considering Cincinnati’s recent form, its full health on offense, its 5-3 road record, and the fact New England seems unlikely to keep up with Joe Burrow and his passing attack as the game unfolds.
Take a look at the best Bengals odds and Patriots odds for the 2022 NFL season.
Bengals vs Patriots Implied Totals
Bengals 22.25, Patriots 18.75
The books are clearly envisioning a low-scoring cold-weather affair where Cincinnati is able to do just enough against a New England defense that plays its best at home to squeak out a fairly narrow win.
It’s also clear there are low expectations for the Patriots’ offense after Mac Jones couldn’t come close to eclipsing 200 yards against a vulnerable Raiders defense in Week 15.
Bengals vs Patriots Pick of the Day
Read more on this Bengals vs Patriots bet below.
Bengals vs Patriots Prediction
Bengals 24, Patriots 20
After a rocky start to the season, the Bengals found their stride and have been playing with the confidence befitting a defending AFC champion. Cincinnati has the prerequisite offensive/defensive balance to typically get the best of inferior opponents and has proven its ability to handle adversity well over the last two games in particular.
Burrow was able to lead his squad to back-to-back double-digit wins over the Browns and Buccaneers despite playing without No. 2 receiver Tee Higgins and No. 3 wideout Tyler Boyd for the majority of the former and by roaring back with 31 second-half points after being down 17-3 at the half in the latter.
Despite the Patriots’ 7-7 record, there figures to be a fair share of obstacles to overcome in this Week 16 matchup as well for Cincinnati. New England’s defense could particularly make it an uphill battle for Burrow and his mates on that side of the ball, considering the Pats have recorded 48 sacks and 14 interceptions.
New England has given up a stingy 16.7 points per home game, as well.
However, the Bengals’ fully healthy offensive attack has traveled very well, and its own high-quality defense has usually kept up. Cincy has a 5-3 road record thanks in part to averaging a solid 24.4 points per road game and is holding opponents to a respectable 22.3 per contest, including just 8 points per second half when traveling.
The Patriots’ offense runs largely through its Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson backfield duo, and the former should have a decent shot at making it back from his thigh injury for this game. Nevertheless, the Bengals have tightened up against the run of late with just over 100 rushing yards per contest surrendered in the last three games.
Factoring in that Jones and the passing attack were in mostly dreadful shape versus the Raiders and the fact Cincy has proven a good ball-hawking crew as well with 10 picks of its own, there’s enough tipping toward the Bengals’ side to lead me to predict a close, hard-fought win.
Bengals vs Patriots Bet Tips
Here are a few Bengals vs Patriots betting trends to consider before making your bets:
- The Bengals are 11-3 against the spread, including 6-2 as a road team and 7-2 against AFC foes.
- The Patriots are 7-6-1 against the spread, including 3-3 as a home team and 4-4-1 versus conference opponents.
- The Over is 3-4-1 in Cincinnati’s road games and 2-4 in New England’s home contests.
- The Bengals are now 17-10 ATS following a win since Zac Taylor became head coach in 2019, while the Patriots are 32-19-1 against the number following a loss over the last 10-plus seasons under Bill Belichick.
Bengals vs Patriots Best Bets
Bengals -3.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
As discussed, the Bengals should have enough firepower on offense here to eventually hit some plays, particularly through the air, against a talented Patriots defense that nevertheless loses on some of the risks it occasionally takes.
Moreover, Cincy’s ability to counter any potential erasing of Ja’Marr Chase by Belichick’s scheme with its impressive array of offensive weapons gives me further confidence in this selection.
Soon you will be able to bet on the Bengals with these Ohio sportsbooks!
Bengals Moneyline & Over 41.5 Points (+191) at Caesars Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
This parlay is a good way to avoid the nearly -200 juice on the straight moneyline bet while banking on the fact that the two teams can do enough to push the game over the modest total, even if not by much.
Jones should have a good chance of having a completely healthy receiving corps for this game and may also have the backfield at full strength, which should enable the Pats to do their part on the scoreboard.
Soon you will be able to bet on the Patriots with these Massachusetts sportsbooks!
Bengals vs Patriots Props
Check out the best Bengals vs Patriots player prop bets this week with our props comparison tool. Click on “Show More Games" below to find the Cincinnati vs New England game and see all of its prop bets.
