TNF Prediction: Ravens will face off against Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium
There was something of a preseason taste to the outstanding victory of the Ravens over the Buffalo Bills, who fell a staggering 47-3 just over the weekend.
Kenneth Dixon and Joe Flacco scored 4 touchdowns and a massive 270 + yards total, allowing Harbaugh’s team to impose a clear superiority from the third quarter on. They will now face an entirely different type of animal, in the form of the Cincinnati Bengals, who also managed to step up their game and defeat the Indi Colts 34-23 on Sunday. Baltimore will travel to Paul Brown Stadium to do battle with Cincinnati on Thursday night.
Very Even Odds
The upcoming duel between the AFC North rivals has become something of a tradition, as they visit each other’s turfs at least once yearly, having both obtained victories during 2017 on enemy ground. This time around, Cincinnati will have the home advantage and they’re widely expected to carry a straight-up win. Cincinnati has taken 4 SU wins in the previous 6 home matches; the Bengals, on the other hand, have kept up a strong ATS record that goes back to the last season, covering the spread 7 times during their last 9 games.
Sports pundits haven’t yet been able to make up their minds about which team will carry the evening on Thursday. Our buddies at YOUWAGER.eu are currently offering both teams at PK with an even 44 over/under. While some believe that the Ravens will be able to start building up a winning streak, others don’t feel so confident: cornerback Jimmy Smith will have to sit this one out due to a disciplinary suspension, leaving wide receiver A.J. Green unsupported.
In and Out
We’ll have to keep checking the injury reports to find out if linebacker Preston Brown will ultimately make it to Thursday’s game. Brown, who is a critical defensive key for Cincinnati, was recently spotted in his home town styling a walking boot, raising concerns about his inclusion to TNF’s line-up. Apart from Jimmy Smith suspension and Brown’s injury, the absentee list appears rather clean ahead of the event.
The Bengals are expected to aim at a stronger offensive strategy and to produce sufficient plays to nullify Flacco’s actions on the field. Whether newcomer Lamar Jackson or the veteran Flacco will assume the preeminent QB role in Baltimore for the 2018 season, we should be able to start seeing some developments to that respect this coming Thursday evening. Former Raiders’ WD Michael Crabtree ought to make some waves for the Ravens side as well: he succeeded at picking up a TD throw on Sunday’s dramatic sweep over the Bills.
My Prediction: The Ravens may have trashed a deficient Buffalo Bills team last weekend, but we shouldn’t give them more credit than deserved; after all, it’s very possible that Buffalo’s squad will earn the uncanny title of worse team of the NFL league this year. My money will go to the Bengals: they’ve been consistently strong at home and can be relied on to secure a small margin victory on Thursday.
As far as the total is concerned, my instinct is strongly veering towards the under. Neither one team has been able to score more than 22 points in average per game.
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By Adrian Chase
