The Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals face off on Sunday in a Week 5 NFL showdown at Paul Brown Stadium. The last time these two teams faced off was September 2017, and it was the Packers that won 27-24.
The Packers opened up their season with a blowout loss against the New Orleans Saints, but since that point they have looked pretty dominant. In the last game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Packers won 27-17. Aaron Rodgers had another big game throwing for 248 yards and two touchdowns. The Packers offense is averaging 23.7 points while the defense is giving up 25 points per game. One big issue for the Packers in this game could be the defense and the injuries. Jaire Alexander is dealing with a shoulder injury and is doubtful for this game. The team did sign linebacker Jaylon Smith, and it’s unclear if he will play in this game. Rodgers on the season has thrown for 897 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions. Davante Adams is having another big year catching 31 passes for 373 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side of this matchup is the Cincinnati Bengals who sit with a 3-1 record and their only loss was by three points against the Bears. In the last game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bengals were down 14-0 at halftime, but in the second half, the offense took off and they ended up winning 24-21. Joe Burrow has been impressive this season completing 25 of his 32 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns. The Bengals are averaging 23 points while the defense is giving up 18.75 points per game. In the second half of the last game the defense played a lot better, and they are going to need to have a complete game on that side of the ball. Burrow has thrown for 988 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions. All signs point towards Joe Mixon missing this game which means Samajie Perine is going to have a bigger role.
The Packers are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games in October. The Bengals are 5-2 in their last seven home games. The over is 6-2 in the Packers last eight games overall. The under is 4-1 in the Bengals last five games overall.
Not having Mixon is a big loss for the Bengals and I really didn’t like what I saw out of the Bengals defense in the first half against the Jaguars. I expect another big game from Rodgers, and even on the road they are going to cruise to the victory. Back the Packers to win the game and cover the spread.