Thursday Night Showdown: Betting Analysis for Bengals vs. Ravens in NFL Week 11
November 16, 2023BENGALS at RAVENS
8:15 p.m., Ravens by 3 ½, 43 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: An argument for each team is easy given the many variables on a short week. Taking Cincy with the hook in a divisional game is attractive as the teams are evenly matched and the Bengals will be more desperate, with a loss killing their chances to win the AFC North. Joe Burrow was still hobbled when the Ravens won the first game and he isn’t now. The Ravens’ defense looked gassed late Sunday when they gave the game away to the Browns with a distinct weakness against the intermediate passing game, which Burrow can exploit if he gets time.
There are issues with the Bengals’ defense, which had no answers for C.J. Stroud and the Texans, who totaled 544 yards of offense. Lamar Jackson has won seven of his nine starts SU against the Bengals. The Ravens are a run-first team and the Bengals are allowing an average rush of five yards per carry.
In addition to WR Tee Higgins, the Bengals could be without their top two pass rushers, Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson, although late word is that Hendrickson night give it a go on his injured knee. The Higgins loss would be balanced out if the Ravens best, CB Marlon Humphrey, misses the game as expected while Baltimore’s pass protection would suffer if LT Ronnie Stanley can’t go.
As far as trends go, Cincy is 15-5 ATS in its last 15 road games but the Bengals have also lost 13 straight prime time road games SU. As opposed to most TNF snoozers which go under, we can see both teams moving the ball for the over.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Bengals and the over.