Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals NFL Round 5 Prediction
Date: 2024-10-01 Author: Robert Beloved Categories: SPORTS BETTING
The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are teams that represent the AFC North division, and their rivalry always generates great interest. Both clubs started the season poorly, but have shown improvement lately, which makes the upcoming meeting especially exciting.
Baltimore Ravens look like Super Bowl contenders
The Baltimore Ravens currently have a 2-2 record, which is not an outstanding result, but the team has shown impressive performances. After starting the season with two losses in a row, they then won against such giants as the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills.
The Round 4 game against the Bills was arguably one of the best performances not only this season but in months. John Harbaugh's men won 35-10, handing Buffalo its worst loss since November 2021.
The Ravens defense was superb that day, holding Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen to no touchdowns for the first time since late 2023. The offense was also strong, with quarterback Lamar Jackson completing 13 of 18 attempts for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Last season's MVP also had one rushing touchdown, as did running back Derrick Henry, who had 199 rushing yards.
Derrick Henry also showed off his catching skills, scoring a touchdown, while the other was scored by Justice Hill, who has emerged as one of Baltimore’s top receivers in 2024.
Can the Cincinnati Bengals handle the Baltimore Ravens’ run game?
The Bengals started the season with three straight losses before getting their first win last weekend, beating the Carolina Panthers 34-24 on the road. The win was expected, considering the Charlotte team is not doing well in 2024.
The Bengals’ previous losses were to the Washington Commanders, Kansas City Chiefs, and New England Patriots. In those games, the offense under Joe Burrow looked good, but the defense was terrible.
The biggest problem for the Bengals is that their defense is especially vulnerable to the run. They are seventh-worst in the league in rushing yards per game, which could be a big problem in Round 5 against running back Derrick Henry.
As a Tennessee player, Henry averaged 81 rushing yards and 0.5 touchdowns per game in four games against the Bengals.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Predictions
We expect the Ravens' running game to be too much for the Bengals defense. Henry should be able to get at least one rushing touchdown, and we wouldn't be surprised if quarterback Jackson did the same. We also expect the Ravens' defense to do a good job of keeping Burrow in check. All of this suggests they should come away with a win, likely covering the spread.
