Oddsmakers establish how they view the Bengals with their season completely on the line against the Ravens
The Bengals are home underdogs in another must-win game.
The Cincinnati Bengals are no longer playing for a winning record, but they can still secure more wins than losses against their division rivals. Defeating the Baltimore Ravens this coming Sunday in NFL Week 15 would secure four wins against the AFC North this season.
It hasn’t even been two full weeks since these teams first played against each other this season. Cincinnati took Baltimore down, 32-14, on Thanksgiving night to snap a four-game losing streak, and the Ravens have now lost two games in a row after falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers this past weekend.
And yet, all of that isn’t enough for the oddsmakers to favor the Bengals at home this week.
Bengals open as home underdogs against Ravens
The Bengals open as 2.5-point underdogs to the Ravens this week. It’s the 11th time Cincinnati has been underdogs this season.
Bengals’ 2025 record against the spread
- 6-7 against the spread
- 2-1 straight up as the favorite
- 2-8 straight up as the underdog
2.5 points is tied for the smallest spread against the Bengals this year. They were also 2.5-point home underdogs to the Chicago Bears back in Week 9 and lost that game, 42-47.
Cincinnati’s record against the spread is better than its actual win-loss record, but the Bengals haven’t been able to cover for more than three games in a row this year. They covered against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, went back-to-back covering against the Green Bay Packers and Steelers in Week 6 and 7, respectively, and have now covered their last three games against the New England Patriots, Ravens, and Bills.
It’s tough to cover 2.5 points as underdogs without actually winning. Cincinnati has dealt this exact spread five times in the Zac Taylor era and are 2-3 in those games straight up and covering. All three of the Bengals’ losses were by more than 2.5 points.
Recent history could very well be in play here. Cincinnati hasn’t swept Baltimore since 2021 and Thanksgiving night saw the Bengals’ first win over their rival since the 2022-23 playoffs.
The sportsbooks must be confident in the Ravens bouncing back from their two-game skid and evening the score with Cincy. A loss for the home team would eliminate them from postseason contention, and that is now the expected result.
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