The two teams scheduled to face off this Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit are looking to recover from devastating losses last weekend. The Cincinnati Bengals lost at home in overtime to the Green Bay Packers after both squads missed numerous field goals. The Detroit Lions lost on a last-second, game-winning field goal by the Minnesota Vikings. With that in mind, check out our NFL Betting preview for the upcoming match between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions.

NFL Betting Preview for Bengals vs Lions

Detroit Lions Analysis

The Lions are winless on the season but have played well enough to win a game or two. Jared Goff, the main return in the Matthew Stafford trade has stepped into a tough situation. The Lions have one of the worst offenses in the league and haven’t eclipsed the 100-point mark in their five games.

D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams have been two of the bright spots for the Lions’ offense. Tight end TJ Hocenson looks like a future star. The receiving corps could use some help, but this young group could be good in the upcoming years.

Defensively, Detroit is a middle-of-the-road unit. After their Week 1 loss to San Francisco, the Lions’ defense has gotten better and hasn’t given up nearly as many points in a game as they did in the first week.

Cincinnati Bengals Analysis

The Bengals come into this one sitting at 3-2. Joe Burrow has played well this season, throwing for nearly 1300 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. Burrow has been assisted by Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine in the backfield. Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and rookie sensation Ja’Marr Chase have been the receiving leaders. Chase has nearly 500 yards with five touchdowns this season and is a leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Bengals have improved under head coach Zac Taylor. The Bengals have had a lot of success getting to the quarterback this season. Trey Hendrickson and BJ Hill have a combined 7.5 sacks on the season.

The Bengals have been in rebuild mode for the last few seasons but led by Burrow and Chase, the Bengals are looking like a team that is ready to contend for a playoff spot in the next season or two. 

Prediction

Cincinnati enters this one as a three-point favorite. The Bengals are clearly the better team on paper, but the games aren’t played on paper. The Lions are on a nine-game losing streak, and a home upset of the Bengals would be just what the doctor ordered.

In looking at the numbers, the Bengals are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games as a favorite on the road. They’re also 5-1 against the spread in their last six games against the Lions. With those numbers in the favor of the Bengals, we’d be foolish not to pick the Bengals, right?

Well, we’re no fools, and we’re going to pick the Cincinnati Bengals to defeat the Detroit Lions by a score of 27-20. The Bengals win the game and cover the spread in the process, getting one step closer to a playoff berth. 

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