4. NFL Playoffs: Cincinnati at Buffalo
LINE Buffalo -5.5
ATS PICK Cincinnati
Buffalo scares me.
As I wrote up in the game preview, this isn’t the Buffalo team of last year at this time. It’s making more mistakes, and it’s struggling to put teams away.
Last year’s team would’ve picked its teeth with the Dolphins in that Wild Card game.
But it puts up a bazillion points – more on that in a later blurb – it’s at home, and it’s got the game it’s been been waiting for. All that, and for all my whining about how it’s not the same team, it has 13 wins with nine of them by a touchdown or more.
I just like the Bengals to at least make this a fight.
I can’t quite get there and take them outright – they weren’t exactly razor sharp against the Ravens – but they’re in the same boat as Buffalo. This is the game and the moment they’ve been waiting for – sort of.
Buffalo’s been dreaming of righting the last year wrong and playing the Chiefs. The Bengals seem like they want this one – for now – if I’m overreacting correctly to how both sides seem to be acting.
The Cincinnati defense is playing well, Joe Burrow isn’t going to be bothered by any of the noise, and this should come down to a late kick or big moment.
I’m still picking Buffalo to win – the Cincinnati offensive line will fail at some point – but 5.5 is good enough.
CFN Experts Picks: Bengals at Bills