Homefield advantage throughout the playoffs will be on the line for the Buffalo Bills when they face the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Buffalo is currently in position to be the No. 1 seed with a record of 12-3, and Kansas City is hoping they stumble so that the Chiefs can take over the top spot in the conference. Cincinnati is one game behind both teams, and the Bengals would love to knock off the Bills and force the rest of the AFC to head into the jungle this postseason.
the last MNF game of the regular season a great one. Two of the top three teams in the AFC will square off to help determine playoff seeding when the Cincinnati Bengals host the Buffalo Bills on Monday, January 2, 2023, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC from Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
NFL Week 17 Betting Odds
Buffalo Bills -1.5
Cincinnati Bengals +1.5
Total 49
Money Line: Bills -125, Bengals +105
Odds Analysis
The oddsmakers believe these teams are pretty evenly matched. Buffalo opened as a two-point favorite over Cincinnati by the NFL betting odds, and that number has since fallen to where it currently rests at one. The total has dropped by a half-point, but it is expected to be one of the highest scoring games of the weekend, nonetheless.
Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen has been fantastic once more this season. Allen is one of the four favorites to be named 2022-23 NFL MVP, as Buffalo has one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. The Bills are fourth in scoring offense (28.0 PPG) and second in total defense (402.3 YPG), and Allen is the one that makes it all work. He is completing 63.4% of his passes for 4,029 yards (7.5 YPA) with 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and he has run or 746 yards (6.5 YPC) and seven touchdowns. The one thing to hold against him is that he has been very turnover prone with 15 turnovers, and Buffalo is actually ranked 30th in the NFL in giveaways.
The ground game has taken on a bigger role in this offense as the weather has changed. Devin Singletary has run for 790 yards (4.6 YPC) and five touchdowns, while rookie James Cook has turned it on with 462 rushing yards and is averaging 5.8 YPC. Buffalo has two excellent receivers in Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis though, and Allen always has that option if the game becomes a shootout.
The Bills have one of the best defenses in the NFL. Buffalo is ranked second in scoring defense (17.5 PPG) and seventh in total defense (317.7 YPG). The Bills have playmakers at every level of this unit, so the injuries to Micah Hyde and Von Miller haven’t devastated them as we might see with other teams.
Cincinnati Bengals
He’s only in his third season, but it seems very likely that Joe Burrow will go down as the best quarterback in the history of the Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow’s rookie season was cut short by a knee injury, but he led the franchise to a Super Bowl appearance last year and is proving that wasn’t a fluke. He has thrown for 4,260 yards (7.6 YPA) with 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and he has run for five TDs.
Tee Higgins has already surpassed the 1,000-yard mark this season, and standout Ja’Marr Chase is 40 yards away from the milestone. Tyler Boyd is arguably the most dangerous third option in the league, and Samaje Perine is starting to replace Joe Mixon’s production.
Cincinnati doesn’t have any superstars on its defense, but the Bengals are an above average unit on this side of the ball. They are allowing 20.4 PPG (9th) and 332.3 YPG (13th), and they have a few nice pieces in Vonn Bell, Trey Hendrickson, and Sam Hubbard. Eli Apple has finally found a home too after a checkered start to his career in the Big Apple.
Bills at Bengals Free Pick
We will see Cincinnati give Buffalo a challenge at home, but the Bills will be simply too much on both sides of the ball at the end of the day.
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