Bills at Bengals on MNF: Best Bets, Picks, and Odds for Week 17's Most Anticipated Game

The Bills and Bengals matchup on Monday Night Football is the only Week 17 game that features two teams who clinched a playoff berth.

Author:
Bill Enright
Publish date:
Dec 30, 2022

The Bills travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals on Monday Night in the only matchup in Week 17 that features both teams with a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. Buffalo clinched the AFC East title but is trying to hold off the Chiefs from taking over as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Meanwhile, the Bengals are trying to stay ahead of the Ravens to claim the AFC North title for the second consecutive season.

Both the Bills and Bengals are among the hottest teams in the league, with Buffalo on a six-game winning streak and the Bengals winners of seven straight. Only the 49ers have a longer active win streak (8). For those that love primetime games, this exciting matchup between two of the league’s best quarterbacks in Josh Allen and Joe Burrow is one heck of a way to close out the Monday Night Football schedule in 2022. There are no Monday Night games in Week 18.

Bills vs. Bengals Odds, Spread, Point Total, Moneyline:

Spread: Buffalo -1 (+105) | Cincinnati +1 (-125)
Moneyline: BUF (-115) | CIN (-105)
Total: 49.5 – Over (-110) | Under (-110)
Game Info: Jan. 2, 2023 | 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills — Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals are the best team in the NFL at covering the spread. Their 12-3 record against the spread tops the rest of the league and they are one of just five teams with double-digit ATS wins. Buffalo, on the other hand, is 7-7-1 and 4-3-1 ATS on the road. Cincinnati has been excellent at covering the number at home (5-1 ATS) and covered the spread in both games when listed as a home underdog in 2022.

Bills and Bengals Offense and Defense Breakdown

Both teams enter Week 17 with Top 10 offenses. The Bills' 28 points per game is 4^th in the NFL, while the Bengals are ranked 6^th with 26.1 In terms of offensive efficiency, the Josh Allen-led squad also has the advantage, they rank No. 2 in yards per game, No. 4 in points per play, and No. 3 in yards per play. The Joe Burrow-led offense is No. 7, No. 9, and No. 12 in those same categories. Bettors shouldn’t expect to see a lot of punts in this contest as the Bills rank No. 1 in 3^rd down conversion percentage and the Bengals rank 5^th.

Buffalo has one of the league’s best defenses, they are ranked No. 2 in opponent points per game, allowing an average of just 17.5. Cincinnati’s defense is ranked 9^thwith an average of 20.4 points against. One key offensive vs. defensive scenario to pay close attention to is in the red zone. The Bengals' offense is ranked 5^th in red zone scoring percentage but the Bills' defense is the best in the NFL in that category. If Joe Burrow can utilize his weapons like Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Joe Mixon to convert their red zone opportunities into touchdowns (as they have all season) and not field goals, this battle could be one of the most exciting games of the year…in fact, we are betting on it!