Bengals vs. Ravens is a classic AFC North division rivalry matchup. The two squads have faced off 59 times, with the Ravens holding a 32-27 advantage.
When the two teams clash tonight, many families will have already eaten their Thanksgiving dinners and be able to pay full attention to what could be the best of the three Thursday games.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow makes his long-awaited return to the turf after being out since Week 2 with a high-grade toe injury. He won’t have star WR Tee Higgins, who is out with a concussion, but he will get WR Ja’Marr Chase back after being suspended for last week due to spitting on Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey.
Let’s take a look at our Bengals vs. Ravens predictions and picks for this Thanksgiving game, in addition to what the key PrizePicks projections are for this TNF matchup.
Bengals vs. Ravens Prediction, Thanksgiving Preview
The Bengals enter this Thursday Night Football game as significant 7.5-point underdogs, returning a 3.44x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright vs. the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens are home favorites with a 1.28x payout if they win outright. All data via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Baltimore Ravens -7.5 (1.88x payout)
- Total: 53.5
- Game Winner Payout: Bengals 3.44x | Ravens 1.28x
In this top-tier matchup between bitter rivals, let’s preview each team and see how they stack up against one another. PrizePicks offers several intriguing picks on projected player stats.
Cincinnati Bengals Preview vs. Ravens
The Bengals are 4-7 against the spread this season, which is the second-worst ATS record in the NFL. They have gone 7-4 to the over, though, thanks to one of the league’s friendliest defenses.
Burrow being finally back is a welcome sight after QBs Jake Browning and Joe Flacco helmed the ship for the previous two months. Browning’s tenure was rocky. The Bengals lost all three of his starts, and he threw more INTs than TDs, leading the team to trade for Flacco in Week 6.
Flacco’s leadership was much steadier from a statistical standpoint, throwing three times as many TDs as INTs, but the Bengals still lost all but one game with him as starter. According to FTN’s StatsHub, Flacco ranked 34th out of 38 QBs with -0.095 EPA/dropback. Every time Flacco prepared to pass, the Bengals were expected to lose ground.
On the injury front, not having Higgins could damage the Bengals' ability to really stretch the field. He was averaging nearly 15 yards per reception, so the Bengals may rely on bench depth like WR Andrei Iosivas (61 yards last week) to pick up the slack.
The Bengals will also not have star DE Trey Hendrickson once again, as he continues to recover from a hip injury.
Baltimore Ravens Preview vs. Bengals
The Ravens have gone 4-7 against the spread, too, as well as matching the Bengals in games that go over the projected total with 7.
QB Lamar Jackson showed up on the injury report for the third week in a row, this time with a toe injury. As has been the case the last two weeks, the issue seemed to go away as quickly as it came, given he was back at practice on Tuesday with no issues.
Despite Jackson and the Ravens brushing these injuries off, he has clearly seemed hobbled in recent weeks. He has fewer than 200 passing yards and a sub-60% completion rate in each of the club’s last three games.
Bengals vs. Ravens Same-Game Picks on PrizePicks
Here are two top Bengals vs. Ravens same-game player picks for Week 13, spotlighting key projections to watch for QB Lamar Jackson and RB Chase Brown.
You can choose More or Less on these projections on PrizePicks — along with plenty of others — for a chance to win real money this NFL season.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Projection vs. Bengals: 26.5 Rush Yards
Jackson has just not looked like himself running the ball all season long. Since returning from his hamstring injury in Week 9, he has only rushed for more than 14 yards once. The two-time MVP is averaging just 6 carries per game as well, down from his career mark, which normally sits between 7 and 8.
The Bengals have allowed the ninth-fewest rushing yards to QBs this season while giving up an average of just over 4 carries, so Jackson may not see the opportunities that he’s used to.
Given his run of toe, ankle, and knee injuries in the last few weeks, it makes sense that Jackson might be more patient in this game and not take off as much.
Bengals RB Chase Brown Projection vs. Ravens: 20.5 Receiving Yards
The Ravens have allowed the seventh-most receiving yards to RBs, per Lineups, which gives Brown a chance to find success in Week 13.
He’s had at least 21 receiving yards in six of his 11 games, including the last four games in a row. According to SumerSports, Brown's 14.62% target share ranks sixth among all RBs this season.
In 2024, Burrow threw the fourth-most check-downs in the league with 90. Given that this is his first game back, he may choose safety and throw quickly to Brown rather than standing in the pocket.
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