Lions vs. Bengals Pick
Can the Detroit Lions go on the road and pick up a convincing win over the struggling Cincinnati Bengals when the two meet today at 1PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Detroit is favored on the road, as the Lions are getting odds of -3 points against Cincinnati. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 44.5 points. Cincinnati has won five straight meetings with Detroit and the Bengals have covered the spread in four of those five wins. The public betting in this game has 66 percent of the wagers going on the Lions on the road. Today’s game takes place from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio and will air live on FOX.
Cincinnati has looked like it has quit over the last few games, losing to the Bears and Vikings by a combined score of 67-14, including a 33-7 loss to the Bears at home. The Bengals are now 5-9 overall and 7-7 against the spread, failing to cover in their last two. Cincy is averaging just 16.6 points and 286 yards per game on offense this season. Andy Dalton has thrown for 2,860 yards and 21 touchdowns this season, but also has 11 interceptions and has been sacked 35 times. The Bengals have been without leading rusher Joe Mixon in recent games due to a concussion, but he has cleared protocol and is expected to play today. A.J. Green is leading the offense with 67 catches for 980 yards and eight touchdowns. Defensively, The Bengals are allowing 21.8 points and 363.7 yards per game this season, including 131.5 rushing yards per contest.
The Lions are still in the playoff mix thanks to back-to-back wins. They sit at 8-6 on the season and need to win out in hopes of making the postseason. The Lions are 7-6-1 against the spread this season, covering in their last two games. Detroit is averaging 25.6 points and 359.1 yards per game. Their run game has yet to produce a 100-yard rusher this season and Matthew Stafford has been sacked 43 times, but he has still thrown for 3,920 yards and 25 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Marvin Jones Jr. has 54 catches for 970 yards and eight touchdowns to aid the offense. Defensively, Detroit is allowing 24.2 points and 374.6 yards per game. The Lions have been good at creating turnovers lately, forcing eight over the last two games. They have 27 as a unit this season and Darius Slay leads the NFL with seven interceptions.
Mixon returning for Cincinnati could give the offense a little spark, but the Bengals have been inconsistent with the ball this year. Even at their best, they still are somewhat turnover prone. Detroit is coming off one of its better performances last week and the defense is back to creating turnovers. I think the Lions will stay sharp on that side of the ball since they have playoff aspirations. Stafford should also be able to orchestrate some scoring drives to give the Lions a comfortable win.
NFL WEEK 16 PREDICTION: DETROIT LIONS -3