Cincinnati Bengals vs Buffalo Bills Divisional Odds, Time, and Prediction

Last season’s AFC champions (Bengals) are traveling to Orchard Park this weekend to take on the No. 2 favorite to win the Super Bowl (Bills). Whoever wins this Divisional Round matchup will get one giant step closer to the Lombardi Trophy. So, who will it be?

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York
• Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023
• Time: 3:00 PM ET
• How to Watch: CBS

Cincinnati Bengals Defense Hopeful of Another Big Performance

The Bengals overcame the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round, winning the game 24-17. Their offense did well – as you’d expect from Joe Burrow & Co. – but it’s their defense that won the game for Cincinnati. Defensive end Sam Hubbard recorded a fumble, running it back for 98 yards over the touchdown line.

Unfortunately, their defensive team got banged up in the same game. We’ll probably see tackle Jonas Williams and cornerback Eli Apple miss the Divisional Round matchup with Kansas City. On top of that, tackle La’el Collins and guard Alex Cappa are long-term absentees.

Those guys might not be key players in the Bengals’ defensive squad, but this team needs all of its players to play top football on Sunday to stop the Bills, who are the NFL’s second-best offense (28.8 PPG).

The good news for the Bengals is that their defense has been allowing just 19.9 points per game on average. This is actually a great number considering that Cincinnati has played against such offensive powerhouses as the Kansas City Chiefs (29.2 PPG), Miami Dolphins (23.8), and so on.

Buffalo Bills Need to Take the Playoffs Even More Seriously

The Bills almost became the protagonists of the biggest upset in the 2023 Playoffs. They barely avoided losing to the banged-up Miami Dolphins. It was an exciting game with a lot of twists, which eventually ended in Buffalo’s favor who won 34-31.

The Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen threw for 352 yards that day for three touchdowns. However, we saw him get two of his throws intercepted the same day. Further, he was responsible for three fumbles in the Wild Card game.

Buffalo’s Bills did even worse, conceding 31 points against the Dolphins who were without several key men, most notably, their starting QB, Tua Tagovailoa.

This Sunday, they face an even tougher challenge in the Bengals. So, if they want to get a chance to win the AFC Championship, they need to up their game significantly.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Buffalo Bills Prediction

Bookies expect to see the Bills win without too many problems on Sunday. The spread is set to four points, which we think it’s too much. If the hosts are going to win, they’re going to do it by a field goal. And we really can’t say we’re 100% certain they’re actually going to win. That’s why Bengals (+4) is a fantastic pick in our eyes.

Picks: Cincinnati Bengals to cover the spread; over to hit