Gardner Minshew takes his Las Vegas Raiders on the road to face off with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. The teams will match up at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX. Let’s jump in and take a look at the Raiders-Bengals preview and predictions.
Las Vegas comes into Week 9 with a disappointing record of just 2-6. They have now lost four games in a row. The Raiders are still dealing with some injuries, Minshew was benched in favor of Adian O’Connell earlier this season, but O’Connell now resides on the IR with a thumb injury. Jakobi Meyers is still dealing with an ankle injury but appears ready to play Sunday. Rookie tight end Brock Bowers was added to Thursday’s injury report with a rib injury, but still logged a full practice. Maxx Crosby was also a full participant, a good sign for the Raiders.
Cincinnati has one of the most disappointing records through Week 8 as they enter this game at just 3-5. Winners of two of their last three, they dropped a game to the Philadelphia Eagles by 20 points last week. They’ve got a tough schedule ahead, so it’s time to put up or shut up from this Bengals team. Orlando Brown Jr and Tee Higgins were both listed as did not participate in Thursday’s practice, meaning they likely won’t play on Sunday, which is a big blow to the Bengals’ offense.
Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals Preview and Predictions Video
Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals Preview and Predictions
Joe Burrow Over 8.5 Rushing Yards (-123)
It’s statement time for the Bengals, and if they are going to make that statement, the ball is in Joe Burrow’s hands. Burrow is more than capable of having big rushing days like he did in Week 6 against the New York Giants when he had 55 yards on the ground. Burrow has gone over this total in five of the Bengals eight games this season. Look for Burrow to make this a statement game, and like Mahomes did against the Raiders last week, scramble for over 8.5 yards on the day.
Cincinnati Bengals -7 (-110)
The records might not be very far off from each other, but these teams are not created equal. The Raiders have been a bit of a dumpster fire this season as the Antionio Pierce hiring has looked more and more like another mistake by Las Vegas.
The Bengals have struggled out of the gate, but we’ve seen this movie before from them, start slow, and then make their run. It’s do-or-die time for Cincinnati. If the Bengals can’t cover this spread and win this game, they’ve got much deeper problems. Give me the better team, with the better coach, and better quarterback to cover at home.
