>
— Saturday, January 15th Las Vegas Raiders @ Cincinnati Bengals
The NFL playoffs get started on Saturday as one of the last teams to clinch their spot; the Las Vegas Raiders (10-7) face the team with the longest playoff-win drought, the Cincinnati Bengals (10-7). The Bengals won the AFC North this season, but they’ve lost eight straight playoff games, four at home. Saturday’s AFC Wild Card game kicks off at 4:35 p.m. ET at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, airing on NBC.
These teams played in Vegas on November 21, with the Bengals dominating 32-13. They have previously met twice in the playoffs, with the Raiders winning in Oakland after the 1975 season and again in Los Angeles after the 1990 season. That win followed the last Bengals playoff victory over the Houston Oilers on January 6, 1991.
Raiders Playing Best Football of Season
The Raiders are 8-9 ATS, and the under is 9-8 in their 17 games. They are 5-3 on the road with a 3-1 mark over the last four and a 3-1 ATS record in those games.
Las Vegas ranks sixth in the NFL in passing yards (268.6 ypg), 18th in scoring (22 ppg), and 11th in total yards (363.8). The defense ranks 13th against the pass (222.9) and 14th in total yards (337.2). They have allowed 25.8 ppg, ranking 26th in the league, and also rank next-to-last in takeaways.
Derek Carr ranks fifth in the NFL in passing yards this season at 4,804, and he has 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. In the four-game win streak that got Las Vegas to the playoffs, Carr had five touchdowns, four interceptions, and 878 yards. He threw for 215 yards against the Bengals in November with one touchdown, one interception, and a lost fumble.
Josh Jacobs was held to just 37 yards on nine carries against the Bengals in November. He came on strong down the stretch with 132 yards last Sunday against the Chargers and 129 in Week 16 against Denver. On the season, he has 872 yards at 4.1 per carry with five touchdowns.
The Raiders got tight end Darren Waller back from injury last week for two of his 55 catches on the season. While Waller was out, Hunter Renfrow stepped up, and he leads Vegas with 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. Waller had seven catches for 116 yards in the first game against Cincinnati, while Renfrow had four for 30 yards.
Burrow Brilliant Down the Stretch
Cincinnati is 10-7 ATS, and the under is 9-8 in their 17 games. They are just 5-4 at home on the season but won their last two home games with a combined 75 points and 971 passing yards.
The Bengals rank seventh in the NFL with 259 passing yards per game and 27.1 ppg. They are 13th in total yards (361.5) and have scored 90 points in the last three games. The defense ranks fifth against the run (102.5) but 26th against the pass (248.4) and 17th in scoring (22.1).
Second-year quarterback Joe Burrow had a breakout season with 4,611 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and a 70.4 percent competition rate. He didn’t play in Week 18 after throwing for 446 yards against Kansas City and 525 against Baltimore in the two previous games, with four touchdowns in each. Burrow had a touchdown pass, and 148 yards as the Bengals used the ground game to beat the Raiders in November.
Joe Mixon has 1,205 rushing yards on the season with 13 touchdowns. He ran 30 times for 123 yards and two scores against the Raiders in the first game. He missed the Week 18 game after a positive COVID test but is expected to be 100% for the playoff game.
Burrow’s top target this season has been rookie Ja’marr Chase who has 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. Tee Higgins has 74 catches for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns, while Tyler Boyd has 67 catches for 828 yards and five touchdowns. Chase scored against the Raiders in November while Boyd led the team with six catches for 49 yards.
Betting Analysis
- Las Vegas Raiders +5.5 (-115). Money line +190
- Cincinnati Bengals -5.5 (-105). Money line -240
- Total Points: 48.5. Over -115. Under -105
It is going to be cold on Saturday with a game-time forecast of 28 degrees and 10-15 mph winds. Both running backs have been playing well, but the Bengals’ defense is much better against the run than their Raiders counterparts. Defensive end Maxx Crosby will need to harass Burrow like he did Justin Herbert last week, but the Bengals have the weapons for quick-hit passes.
Betting Pick: Bengals -5.5 (-105)
Keep up with your latest NFL news coverage and betting pick previews at NJSportsbookReview.com.