Ravens (10-6) at Bengals (11-4)
Sunday, 1 or 4:25 p.m. ET, Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati
TV: Fox or CBS, TBD
Tipico Sportsbook line: None at press time. (Bengals had yet to finished postponed Week 17 game with Bills at press time.)
Ravens’ keys to victory: Whether it’s Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley at QB, the Ravens need quick-hitting passing attacks to negate the Bengals’ pass rush. Targeting TE Mark Andrews often is a must – in a 19-17 Ravens win in Week 5, he paced the offense with eight catches for 89 yards and a score. Defensively, playing aggressive man with extra blitzes against an offensive line missing its starting right tackle could be the difference in disrupting timing, as the bulk of Bengals interceptions have come off passes tipped at the line.
Bengals’ keys to victory: While it may seem basic, QB Joe Burrow needs to spread the ball out. In the road loss to Baltimore this season, the Ravens contained WR Ja’Marr Chase well because WR Tee Higgins was out with an injury. Designing short but explosive plays for the former and exploiting one-on-ones for the latter should keep the chains moving.
Matchup to watch: Ravens’ running backs vs. Bengals DT DJ Reader. Even without Jackson, Baltimore’s ground game has carried the offense to wins and was a big part of the Week 5 result. In that contest, Baltimore ran for 155 yards on 28 carries, including 35 on the game-winning drive.
Who wins? The Ravens caught the Bengals without Higgins in Week 5, which was before they caught fire. Things have dramatically changed since. This could look more like the series sweep from a year ago, when Cincinnati outscored Baltimore by 82-38.
Bengals, 30-17