The Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos face off on Sunday in a Week 15 NFL showdown at the Empower Field at Mile High. When these two teams faced off in December of 2018 it was the Broncos that won 24-10.
The Bengals come into this game with a 7-6 record overall and they have gone 6-7 against the spread. Coming into this game the Bengals have lost two games in a row, including the last game against the San Francisco 49ers that they lost by three points. Cincinnati is averaging 27.33 points while their defense is giving up 22.5 points per game. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been good, throwing for 3,483 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Joe Mixon has also had a big year rushing for 1,036 yards and 12 touchdowns.
On the other side of this matchup is the Denver Broncos who sit with a 7-6 record and they have gone 7-6 against the spread. The Broncos have won two of their last three games, including the last game against the Detroit Lions where they won by 28 points. The offense in that game put up 38 points. Denver is averaging 21.2 points while their defense is giving up 17.5 points per game. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been inconsistent this season but in the last game he did look good. In this game, if the Broncos want to find success they are going to need Bridgewater to play well and not turn the ball over.
The Bengals are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games. The Broncos are 1-5 against the spread in their last six games against the AFC. The underdog is 8-2 against the spread in the last 10 games. The road team is 4-0 against the spread in the last four meetings.
The Broncos looked good in the last game, but this line is a big overreaction to what happened in that game. I expect a big game from Burrow and that is going to be the difference in this game. Look for the Bengals' offense to find success, and that will be enough for Cincinnati to cover the spread.
AUTHOR: Shane Mickle
