Raiders vs. Bengals Prediction
Joe Burrow and Derek Carr will make their respective playoff debuts on Saturday when the NFL playoffs kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET in Cincinnati, OH. Will the Bengals cash as a 5.5-point home favorite or is there a better option on the board for bettors?
Game Snapshot
141 Las Vegas Raiders (+5.5) at 142 Cincinnati Bengals (-5.5); o/u 48.5
4:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, January 15, 2022
Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
TV: NBC
Las Vegas Raiders DFS Spin
Derek Carr completed 20-of-36 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 35-32, Week 18 win over the Chargers. The Raiders played in one of the most insane games in recent memory this week. Both them and the Chargers could make it to the playoffs with a win or a tie. The game made it to overtime with both teams kicking fields. In a next-score-wins scenario, the Raiders made their way down the field on the back of a few Josh Jacobs carries and kicked a field goal to eliminate the Chargers from playoff contention. The team could have kneeled out the clock and still made the playoffs but chose to dash their opponent’s post-season hopes instead. Jacobs did most of the work in this game, gashing a weak defensive front for 132 yards. That shouldn’t be the case in the Wild Card round as the Raiders will face the Bengals, who beat them by 19 in their previous meeting. Carr should see his attempts boosted next week but will remain a low-end option at his position given the quality of quarterback play he’s competing with.
Cincinnati Bengals DFS Spin
Joe Burrow (knee) was a full participant for Wednesday’s practice. Burrow sat out Week 18 but the game was mostly meaningless for the AFC North champs. The extra week of rest plus a pair of full practices ensures that he will play in the Wild Card round.
NFL Wild Card Weekend Betting Prediction
The Raiders are 0-5 against the spread in their last five games against the Bengals, while the favorite has covered in four of the last five meetings between these two teams. The Bengals are also 4-0 against the number in their last four games overall, are 4-0 against the spread in their last four conference games and have covered in five of their last six games when facing an opponent with a winning record.
NFL WILD CARD WEEKEND BETTING PREDICTIONS: CINCINNATI BENGALS -5.5
