Ravens vs. Bengals Best Bets for Week 18

The Baltimore Ravens will go up against the Cincinnati Bengals in a fierce AFC North rivalry match in Week 18, and they probably won’t come away unscathed.

The Bengals are exactly where the Ravens want to be heading into the 2022 postseason: coming off a seven-game winning streak, offense humming, defense holding off elite quarterbacks, and strolling into the playoffs with a pep in their step.

Joe Burrow proved himself to be a dangerous and incisive passer with or without his top wideouts, and now that Cincinnati is more or less at full strength, the Ravens represent the David to the Bengals’ Goliath.

Without Lamar Jackson, Baltimore will find it difficult to get many points on the board, though the team’s defense should minimize the damage in what feels like a bitter impending loss.

That’s why you should take the under for this game (as we’ve tried to tell you many times before).

But let’s take a look at another best bet to make for this week’s matchup. All odds are courtesy of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Best Ravens Bets Week 18

Bengals win by 1-13 points (+135)

The Bengals winning this game feels like a foregone conclusion considering the Ravens’ disappointing form of late, but that doesn’t mean the game won’t be close.

Back in October, the Ravens won 19-17 and held Joe Burrow to roughly 200 passing yards and one passing touchdown. With the pending returns of Marcus Peters and Calais Campbell on Sunday, Baltimore’s defense should make this at least a manageable game for the offense.

We’re not saying Huntley will lead the Ravens to a late-game triumphant comeback — we’re just saying this shouldn’t turn into another full-scale blowout like what happened in the 2021 season.

By now, no one’s underestimating the Cincinnati Bengals, but no one should underestimate the Ravens’ defense, either. That unit has allowed just 12.7 points per game in the last three weeks and 18.0 points per game in the entire season, ranked third-best in the league.

Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Marcus Williams, Patrick Queen — these are all players capable of making big plays in clutch situations whether it’s a soul-crushing sack or a nifty interception.

This game may not end in the Ravens’ favor, but their indomitable defensive brand of football will keep them fighting until the end.