With one statement win under their belts, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to add another one tonight as they host the Buffalo Bills in this week's Sunday Night Football matchup (8:20 pm ET, NBC).
A month ago, things didn't look particularly promising for the Bengals, who opened the season with three losses in their first four games.
Now, even though they find themselves needing a win over the Bills to not be in last place in the AFC North, the Bengals (4-3) appear to have found their footing as the season hits the halfway point.
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Entering tonight's contest with Buffalo, Cincinnati has won three straight games. Last week, they picked up arguably the best win of any team this season, as they took down the San Francisco 49ers by two touchdowns in an impressive performance at Levi's Stadium.
Will they extend their win streak tonight? Oddsmakers give them a slight edge over the Bills, who will be looking to avoid their third loss in four road games this season and capitalize on the Miami Dolphins' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Will Takeaways Continue to Turn the Tide for the Bengals?
There are a number of reasons why the Bengals appear to be on the right track after a rough start.
Joe Burrow has been more like himself in Cincinnati's last few games. Against the 49ers, he went 28 for 32 for 283 yards and three touchdowns.
A Tale of Two Burrows
First Four Games: 87 of 151 (57.6%), 728 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Last Three Games: 88 of 113 (77.9%), 785 yards, 8 TD, 2 INT
But it is worth noting that entering today, the Bills were 26th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per attempt (7.6), 27th in the NFL in opponent passer rating (101.5). tied for 29th in sacks (12), 30th in touchdown passes allowed (17).
Of course, every game situation isn't the same. So, there's only so much that can be read into some surface statistics. But there's a very real possibility that Burrow carves up the Bills like he did the 49ers.
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Even if he doesn't, the Bengals could still come away with a comfortable win thanks to their exploits on the other side of the ball.
In each of their four wins this season, the Bengals have forced multiple turnovers. Last week, Cincinnati picked off Brock Purdy twice and added a third takeaway on a fumble. The latter interception, by Logan Wilson, helped set up a back-breaking touchdown that made it 24-10 early in the fourth.
Their happy hands could spell trouble for Josh Allen and the Bills. Allen has already been picked off eight times this season and has thrown a pick in six of eight games.
Yes, the picks are part of the territory with Allen, and Buffalo often survives and thrives despite them. But against an opponent like Cincinnati, one mistake can turn the game completely.
Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals Prediction and Best Bets
Prediction: Bengals to win
Best Bets: Bengals -2 (-110 at Bovada) & Bills under 22.5 points (+125 at Bovada)
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Eddie Griffin has been writing about and betting on sports for over a decade and has been with Betting News since 2021. For more of his thoughts on sports and sports betting, you can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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