Cincinnati Bengals vs. Las Vegas Raiders Odds, Betting Predictions and Picks

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Las Vegas Raiders Odds, Betting Predictions and Picks

The Las Vegas Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals are set to officially kick-start the playoffs with their AFC Wild Card matchup slated as the first game of Saturday’s NFL doubleheader. The game marks the second meeting between the pair this season after the Bengals clinched the convincing 32-13 win on the road in Week 11. The Raiders will be keen for a different result this time around, but the NFL odds aren’t quite as encouraging.  

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Las Vegas Raiders When, Where, How to Watch, and Odds

 Date: Saturday, January 16, 2022, 

 Time: 4:30 PM ET

 Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati

 TV Network: NBC

Click Here for Bengals vs Raiders Odds

Raiders Betting Preview

Right around the time when the Bengals descended on Las Vegas, the Raiders were in the midst of a poor stretch of form that seemed to cast their 2021 campaign into serious doubt. The Raiders were riding a two-game losing streak into Week 11, capped off by a 41-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at home. So, when the Raiders were dealt with a third-straight loss and second-straight, double-digit margin defeat at home by the Bengals, it’s easy to understand why, at the time, everyone was jumping off the bandwagon.

The Raiders didn’t rubberstamp their ticket into the postseason until the final game of the season, following a 35-32 win over the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium that sent them into the postseason and, simultaneously, booted their arch division rivals out of the frame. Nevertheless, with the benefit of 20-20 vision of hindsight, writing off the Raiders back then now seems a bit premature. 

The Raiders finished with a 10-7 record on the season and clinched their first playoff berth since 2016. Interestingly, it’s Derek Carr’s first-ever playoff appearance, too. The veteran signal-caller has started 126 games in his eight-year career with the Raiders, but he is amongst three quarterbacks to have started more than 100 games without ever reaching the postseason. He falls behind Ryan Fitzpatrick (147) and Archie Manning (139) as the only ones never to appear in a playoff game. 

Bengals Betting Preview

The Cincinnati Bengals are the feel-good story of 2021, rebounding from a 2-14-0 finish last season to clinch the AFC North title for the first time since 2015 behind second-year quarterback Joe Burrow and an offense anchored by a blend of exhilarating young talent and stalwart veterans. 

Few would have predicted the Bengals would emerge as the best in a division that contained the highly-fancied Baltimore Ravens, the hyped-up Cleveland Browns, and the widely respected Pittsburgh Steelers. They were literally the new kids on the block. 

Coach Zac Taylor rested most of his starters in Week 18, including Joe Burrow. This means the Bengals will be going into Saturday’s contest with a significant rest advantage over the Raiders, who played late into Sunday night.

Bengals vs. Raiders Betting Odds

The markets opened with the Raiders tipped as the 6.5-point home chalk, but the line quickly dropped down to 5.5 points at multiple top-rated shops. The game total opened on 49 points, where it’s held for the most part with several sportsbooks, though some have come down to 48.5 points.

Bengals vs. Raiders Predictions and Picks

The Raiders might be outsiders in the playoffs, but despite the NFL odds that are stacked against them, they actually fancy their chances of making a run for it. And why wouldn’t they when they’re exactly where many said they wouldn’t be: in the playoffs. It’s quite emboldening and validating to prove everyone wrong.

The Bengals are division champions, but this is unchartered territory for them. How they deal with the occasion remains to be seen, but there’s every reason to believe that they can come through with the home win at the expense of the Raiders, who, let’s face it, have as little playoff experience as they do. 

All told, in some respects, this does feel like a tossup between two evenly matched teams that punched above their perceived weight class. However, to look at how each side performed to get to this vantage point, it must be said that the Bengals have had the more convincing account overall. And, they have the kind of verve and swagger that is easy to buy into.

Bengals vs. Raiders AFC Wild Card Pick 

• Bengals -5.5 (-105) (Bet $100 to Win $95)