NFL Betting Odds & Predictions for Week 13 → Chiefs vs Bengals

One of the great new rivalries in the NFL will be renewed on Sunday afternoon, as the Kansas City Chiefs will visit the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have actually won seven of their last eight meetings with the Chiefs, including Week 17 last year in Cincinnati and the AFC Championship at Arrowhead Stadium. In both games, the Chiefs went into the fourth quarter with the lead, but a stalwart Cincinnati defense and some clutch play from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in the face of intense pressure brought the Bengals both wins. The Chiefs ride a five-game winning streak into this game, while the Bengals have won three straight. Let’s break down the NFL betting implications of this matchup as you line it up.

 

NFL Preview: Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals
(Sunday, December 4)

 

When: Sunday, December 4, 2022, 4:25 pm ET
Where: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati
TV: CBS
Radio: 106.5 FM The Wolf Kansas City / WLW 700 AM Cincinnati
Live Stream: Sling TV
NFL Odds: Kansas City -2 / O/U 53 // Cincinnati +135 / Kansas City -115

 

Why should you bet on the Chiefs?

If the season ended today, the Chiefs would hold a bye in the first round of the playoffs and would have home-field advantage in the divisional round and the AFC Championship. Their current winning streak does feature road victories over the Chargers and San Francisco; that win over the Chargers featured a two-carom interception in the late going as Justin Herbert had the Chargers on the march to take a late lead.

The Chiefs will not have Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) and Kerick McKinnon (hamstring), so the only healthy running back will be Isiah Pacheco. Mecole Hardman (abdominal injury) and Kadarius Toney (hamstring) are questionable to play, and JuJu Smith-Schuster (illness) looks set to play at this point. No team has a better offense than the Chiefs, who lead the league in scoring, passing yards and total yards. In the AFC Championship last year, the Chiefs had a hard time moving the ball. However, Patrick Mahomes (29 TD, 8 INT) is putting up MVP numbers this year; his key target will be Travis Kelce. The Chiefs’ defense puts on a solid pass rush, but their secondary can be vulnerable.

 

Why should you put your money on the Bengals?

Cincinnati started the season 0-2 but has only lost twice since then, going 7-2 over that stretch, and they are emerging, along with Kansas City and Buffalo, as the cream of the AFC. Three of the team’s four losses have all been very close, with the exception of the bizarre setback against Cleveland. Ja’Marr Chase (hip) is probable to return, while Joe Mixon (concussion protocol) remains questionable. Samaji Perine has pounded the ball on the ground during Mixon’s injury, so the Bengals should still be able to run the ball well. Also, they still have Tee Higgins running routes, so Burrow will have plenty of quality options.

The Bengals also need to take advantage of some of the weaknesses in the Kansas City defense. Cincinnati is fifth in scoring and sixth in total offense, and Kansas City ranks just #21 in the league against the pass. Joe Burrow has a 23:8 TD:INT ratio and has really picked up in the last nine games. When Chase and Mixon return, things will be easier, but for now, Burrow needs to concentrate on open receivers down the field.

 

Final Score and Prediction

Eventually, the law of averages kicks in, and the Chiefs do look like a really strong team right now. The Bengals are also doing the right things on offense, but the Chiefs just look more complete on offense right now. I predict a final score of Kansas City 30, Cincinnati 27.

 

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