Tag: NFL picks

Bengals’ 9 remaining games, ranked from easiest to toughest

The easiest to toughest games left on the schedule for the Bengals, ranked.

It is commonly suggested that the Cincinnati Bengals have one of the NFL’s hardest remaining schedules with nine games left in the season.

And while that’s true, some games are much harder than others.

Across the remaining nine games, the Bengals play four AFC North opponents and just one non-conference opponent outright. They appear on primetime at least two more times, though two games remain TBD on details and flex scheduling could move others.

Either way, at the season’s halfway point, now is a good time to step back and look at the broader schedule and rank Cincinnati’s remaining games from easiest to hardest.

Final score predictions for Bills vs. Bengals in Week 9

A final prediction for Bills vs. Bengals in Week 9.

The three-game winning streak for the Cincinnati Bengals wasn’t the hardest to predict so far because of one factor.

Joe Burrow.

And it sure feels like a fourth straight is on the docket.

When the Bengals host the Buffalo Bills on the Week 9 edition of “Sunday Night Football,” a national audience will again see a fully healthy Burrow.

Last week, he went into San Francisco and beat a five-win 49ers team 31-17 while going 28-of-32 for 283 yards with three scores and some play-extending and first-down runs, too. That, while leaving roughly 10 points on the board because of a missed field goal and a redzone lost fumble.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL and other such typical disclaimers. But that was the closest to the offseason vision we’ve seen the Bengals offense so far — where a healthy Burrow plays behind the best line he’s enjoyed since being drafted and the offense continues to expand.

Another disclaimer, though — the Bills aren’t a slouch. Josh Allen is still massively boom-or-bust, having thrown 17 scores and rushed for five more, yet also sitting on eight interceptions and three fumbles. Even while playing through an injury to his shoulder last week, he managed to throw for two scores, 324 yards and rush for a score in a win.

The Bills also have two guys averaging 4.8 yards per rush or better, one of those being Allen, while the Cincinnati defense is one of the league’s worst — at least statistically — against the run.

Still, it’s hard not to keep coming back to the quarterback comparison. Burrow and Co. have turned the ball over just six times this year for a plus-seven differential, second-best in the league.

And while Allen deals with a shoulder injury that still had him on the injury report last week, he’ll also have to deal with Trey Hendrickson’s pass-rush behind a line that is very young on one side.

We’d be remiss not to mention last year, too. The Bengals fired out of the gates and looked well on the way to a win during the regular season before that game got called off. In the playoffs in Buffalo, that really came to fruition, a 27-10 Bengals win in which Burrow threw for two scores, the offense ran for 172 yards and a score and Allen mustered no touchdown passes on 42 attempts.

The Bengals have simply felt like a bad matchup for the Bills for a few years now, especially with the way Lou Anarumo can put out defenses that give Allen problems. Add on his injury and the fact the Bills are 2-2 over their last four, the wins coming against teams with losing records, and it feels like the Bengals are catching them at a good time — at home, no less.

For this one, it wouldn’t be too much of a shock to see the Bengals pounce on another early lead and really turn the running game loose.

Prediction: Bengals 30, Bills 21

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Week 8 picks: Who the experts are taking in Jaguars vs. Steelers

The Jaguars are a slight road favorite, but do experts agree with oddsmakers?

The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t lost since September and enter Week 8 with a chance to get to six wins in their first eight games for the first time since 1999. The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t lost since Oct. 1 and are just a half-game behind the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North.

On a weekend with no teams on bye, the Jaguars’ game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh is one of only two matchups between two teams with winning records.

While Jacksonville enters as a road favorite for the contest, it isn’t by much.

So what do the experts foresee in the Jaguars’ first trip back to Pittsburgh since a January 2018 playoff victory? Here’s a roundup of picks for the Week 8 game:

Final score predictions for Seahawks vs. Bengals in Week 6

A final prediction for Seahawks vs. Bengals in Week 6.

A week ago, we predicted the Cincinnati Bengals would overcome the Arizona Cardinals and save the season in large part based on practice footage that revealed quarterback Joe Burrow was more mobile than he’d been all season.

Now it’s time to do it again.

The Burrow comeback has only taken it up a notch over the last week while the team prepared to take on the Seattle Seahawks.

Early-week practice footage showed Burrow doing off-platform throws for the first time. And a report on Saturday said he did sprints in practice for the first time all season.

Normally, it might be a little ridiculous to base an entire game’s prediction around one player. But onlookers saw it last week in the blowout win over Arizona, as Ja’Marr Chase alone benefited to the tune of a franchise-record 15 catches for 192 yards and three touchdowns. This week, Tee Higgins will be back on the field, too.

To be totally fair to the Seahawks, they’re a much better team than the Cardinals. The defense can generate a wicked pass-rush and has an 11-sack game on the resume already. The offense has some weapons that could give the Bengals problems, highlighted by wideout DK Metcalf and running back Kenneth Walker III (five touchdowns on a 4.4 average). Quarterback Geno Smith was the comeback player of the year last year and has five touchdowns and one interception.

Still, the Seahawks are a little all over the place, too. Two of the three wins came against teams with a combined one win. The other required overtime. The lone loss was a blowout at the hands of the Rams, a team the Bengals already beat.

The Bengals do have some concerns on the defensive side of the ball, as the trend of sloppy tackling continued last week, requiring a heavy reliance on almost lucky turnovers against a backup quarterback. But it’s hard to imagine Lou Anarumo’s defense keeps struggling with the same thing as a new-look secondary continues to get used to playing as a unit and there are rumblings of change, such as rookie Jordan Battle getting more snaps.

There is an angle where the Seahawks just try to run the ball endlessly and control this game. But they’re on the road after a big trip, too and over the last few years, run-first teams haven’t fared well against a healthy Burrow.

And that’s all it really comes down to. If the gameplan calls for some moving pockets and ways to avoid pressure and Burrow can extend a few plays and drives like he usually does, this should be a win. Feel free to tack on a sense of urgency, as the team doesn’t need it explained how important it is to hit 3-3 for the bye before showdowns with San Francisco and Buffalo.

Prediction: Bengals 30, Seahawks 27

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Bengals news: Joe Burrow injury update, NFL Week 6 picks and more

The latest Bengals news items and notes to know.

Another NFL game day means massive headlines around the Cincinnati Bengals.

And it doesn’t get much bigger than a Joe Burrow injury update.

Said update is nothing but good news for the team and fans. And before kickoff against the Seattle Seahawks, other headline items include Ja’Marr Chase’s usage, causes for concern against those Seahawks and more.

Of course, there’s also the all-important NFL picks angle, where experts project whether the Bengals will get back to 3-3 or not just before the bye week.

Before that game actually kicks off, here’s a look at the must-know Bengals news, notes and quotes for October 15.

Week 6 picks: Who the experts are taking in Colts vs. Jaguars

The Jaguars won by double-digits in the first time meeting. Do experts think the Week 6 rematch will be a different result?

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a whole lot of people wrong last week when they beat the Buffalo Bills. Now they’ll try to make most of those experts right in Week 6.

Five weeks after getting a 31-21 road win against the Indianapolis Colts in their season opener, the Jaguars will finish up their season series with the Colts on Sunday with a rematch at EverBank Stadium.

While the Jaguars are feeling confident and rejuvenated after back-to-back wins in London, the Colts are also headed in the right direction after winning three of their last four. However, Indianapolis will be without starting quarterback Anthony Richardson due to a shoulder injury. Starting in his place will be former Jaguars starter Gardner Minshew II.

Can the Jaguars handle business and get their first win in Jacksonville of the season, or will Minshew Magic strike again in Duval? Here’s what the experts think:

Week 5 betting picks: Winners, ATS and totals

Check out Jess Root’s Week 5 betting picks for the remaining games on the schedule.

The NFL kicked off Week 5 on Thursday with an upset 40-20 win by the Chicago Bears over the Washington Commanders. The Bears were 6.5-point underdogs in the game.

I picked the Bears to cover but not to win.

Below are my betting picks for the remaining 13 games on the schedule, giving you my picks for the moneyline, the spread and the total.

Check out all my picks on Tallysight. 

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Week 5 picks: Who the experts are taking in Jaguars vs. Bills

Not many experts think the Jaguars have what it takes to beat the Bills in Week 5.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got back on the right track last week against the Atlanta Falcons, cruising to a 23-7 win even if their offense still struggled to get going.

Was that win enough to convince experts that the Jaguars are ready to take down the steamroller that is the Buffalo Bills?

After losing in an overtime thriller in Week 1, the Bills rolled through their next three opponents by a combined 90 points. Buffalo is now second in scoring and allowing the second fewest points.

With a London meeting between the Bills and Jaguars kicking off Sunday morning, here’s who experts think will win the tilt at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium:

Week 4 picks: Who the experts are taking in Falcons vs. Jaguars

The Falcons and Jaguars are both looking to bounce back from tough Week 3 losses. Which team will get back on track?

The Jacksonville Jaguars were responsible for a lot of survivor pools ending last week when they lost 37-17 to the Houston Texans. Among the many who didn’t the result coming were pundits who overwhelmingly picked the Jaguars to get to 2-1 in Week 3.

Can they get back to .500 with a bounce-back performance against the Atlanta Falcons? Experts think so.

The Falcons opened their season with back-to-back wins, but were dominated by the Detroit Lions in a 20-6 loss last week. Through three weeks, Atlanta is bottom 10 in the NFL in both points scored and total offense.

In a game between two teams looking to get their season back on track, here’s a roundup of who pundits are picking in the Week 4 matchup:

Week 3 expert picks for Cardinals-Cowboys

Nobody is picking the Cardinals to win in Week 3.

The 0-2 Arizona Cardinals take on the 2-0 Dallas Cowboys at home on Sunday. The Cardinals are massive underdogs, and understandably so.

The Cowboys have outscored their opponents 70-10 through two games.

The Cardinals were outscored 31-8 just in the second half of their game last week.

There is little faith in the Cardinals to even make a game of it.

We have expert picks below, from Cards Wire, from Cowboys Wire and a panel of NFL Network experts.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.