Ravens vs. Bengals Betting Line

Home: Cincinnati Bengals (9-6 overall, 4-3 at home)
Away: Baltimore Ravens (11-4 overall, 3-4 on the road)
When: Week 17. Sunday, January 1, 2012. 4:15 pm ET.
TV: CBS

The Baltimore Ravens are trying to lock up the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs, while the Cincinnati Bengals guarantee themselves a Wild Card birth win a win. One way or another, this game will mix up the seeds in the AFC, and a number of teams could be affected by the final outcome. A lot of interested eyes will be watching.

From a fan standpoint, this could be the most exciting week 17 game to watch. There’s good news for bettors as well, mainly that we know each team will be giving it all of their efforts. This means there are fewer ‘might happens’ to worry about, making it somewhat more predictable than some of the other week 17 games.

Below are the latest Ravens vs. Bengals betting lines for week 17 on Sunday, January 1, 2012. To bet on the game, click on any of the sportsbook logos or betting lines below.

Ravens at Bengals Betting Lines: Week 17

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens Point Spread

This game has playoff ramifications for both teams, and both will be giving it their all. When compared to a game like the Lions vs. Packers where the Packers have nothing to gain, this is better for handicapping.

Pro handicappers and football prognosticators seem to be divided on this game, with legitimate reasons for picking either side. All four of the Ravens losses this year have come on the road, but the Bengals have a less-than-remarkable 4-3 home record.

At the time of this writing, the Ravens are slight favorites on the road in Cincinnati. The Baltimore Ravens point spread is -1.5 (-115) at BetOnline.com, and -2 (-110) at JustBet.cx.

The Cincinnati Bengals point spread is +1.5 (-105) at BetOnline, and +2 (-110) at JustBet.

Both teams have excellent rushing defenses, and both teams have 1000+ yard rushers. The Bengals will need to stop Ravens RB Ray Rice, while the Ravens look to stop Bengals RB Cedric Benson. I expect the defenses to win these battles, mainly because both teams have very predictable running games. Rice accounts for 66% of Baltimore’s rushing yards, while Benson accounts for 61% of the Bengals rushing yards.

The Ravens have a slight edge in the passing department, but not by much. Both defenses are also very good against the pass, again with a slight edge for the Ravens.

Both teams are +1 in turnover ratios, with the Ravens secondary having an edge with 15 picks vs. 10 for the Bengals. However, the Ravens have fumbled the ball 12 times this year, while the Bengals have only fumbled 7 times. If the Bengals commit to the ground game in this one, they have a slight advantage that might be worth +1 in turnovers.

The records of these teams don’t reflect how closely they are matched. The Bengals played the Ravens in Baltimore in week 11, where the Ravens won 31-24. However, the Ravens have been much better at home (8-0 this season), and they’re much weaker (3-4) on the road. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a very low scoring game until the 4th quarter when both teams might decide to take more chances passing the ball.

I like the Bengals at home this time, especially getting the points. I’m going to bet on the Bengals point spread, at +2 (-110) at JustBet.cx. If you prefer to save a nickel and give up 1/2 point, you can get the Bengals +1.5 (-105) at BetOnline.com.

Ravens vs. Bengals Money Line Odds

At the time this article is being written, the Ravens money line is +130 at BetOnline and JustBet. The Bengals money line is +110 at both betting sites as well.

I’m taking the Bengals to win this outright, so obviously I’m seeing value in +110 on the money line. If you want to bet on the Ravens vs. Bengals money line, both of the sites listed above have the same odds right now.

Ravens at Bengals Over/Under Betting Odds

I expect this to be a low scoring 1st half, with both teams opening up their game in the 2nd half (especially 4th quarter). If the game is close heading into the 4th quarter, we could see both teams taking some chances, and possibly more scoring opportunities. Still I expect a low scoring game overall, something in the range of 20-14 up to 23-17. So, we’ve got a range of 34 – 40 total points.

At the time of this writing, the Ravens vs. Bengals over/under is 38.5 (-110) on both sides at BetOnline, and 39 (-110) on both sides at JustBet.

I’m going to bet the under on this one, hoping the defenses hold up in the 4th quarter. Adrenaline will be high for both defenses, and I’m hoping we don’t see too many big plays late in the game. The best odds for the under is 39 (-110) at JustBet.cx. For the over, go to Betonline where you can get 38.5 (-110).

Ravens @ Bengals Prop Bets and Live Betting Sites

With so much attention on this Ravens/Bengals game, every online betting site will be offering a nice variety of prop bets. Bovada.lv (formerly Bodog, US bettors welcome) will likely have the best selection, with live betting as well.

We should be able to find all sorts of team & player prop bets, and serious bettors should shop around for the best odds. We’ll see some of the same props at several sites, so it’s smart to register at several of the best online sportsbooks.

If you’re new to live betting, these are prop bets that can be made while a game is in-play. At Bovada, bettors can wager on every possession, and many individual downs. Some examples of the types of live bets that can be made include, will the next down be a pass or rush, which team will be the next to score, or which player will record the next touchdown. Live bets usually start at $1-2 per wager, depending on the sportsbook you’re betting at.