Week 5 Ravens vs Bengals: Predictions, Picks, and Odds

• The Baltimore Ravens are 2.5-point favorites on the road in Cincinnati Sunday in an NFL Week 5 AFC North match-up
• Ravens running back Derrick Henry leads the NFL with 480 yards and is 18 shy of 10,000 in his pro career
• Check out our analysis of Ravens vs Bengals, including our prediction and tips on the best odds

They meet again. And again.

After squaring off four times in the 2023 calendar year, the Cincinnati Bengals (1-3; 2-2 ATS) host the Baltimore Ravens (2-2; 3-1 ATS) at Paycor Stadium Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Baltimore won both regular season meetings last year, led by MVP Lamar Jackson. After losing two straight to start the year, Baltimore has won its last two, including an impressive beatdown of the Bills Monday night as Henry ran wild.

Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals Odds

Odds as of October 5 at Caesars Sportsbook. Be sure to check out the best Caesars Sportsbook promos before placing a bet on any Week 5 NFL matchup.

The Ravens are 2.5-point favorites on the road at most American sportsbooks. BetMGM has the Ravens as two-point favorites. The over/under total is 48.5 at FanDuel, while the other spots have it listed at 49. Three of the last four meetings between the two teams have hit the over.

When the Ravens signed Henry to a free agent deal, NFL fans wondered how dangerous the combination of Jackson and he would be in the backfield, and now we’re seeing it. Henry leads the NFL with 480 yards. Jackson has run for 308 and the Ravens rushing attack is No. 1 in the NFL.

New All-22 video on @AthlonSports: How did Derrick Henry take the @BuffaloBills‘ defense on an 87-yard hellride on the @Ravens‘ first offensive play? Because Henry’s blockers executed their Wham blocks about as well as they can be done. Just an evil rushing offense to face. pic.twitter.com/czYk83mSdb

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) October 2, 2024

The Bengals started 0-3, and there were starting to be whispers about Coach Zac Taylor. Cincinnati had a late penalty call go against them in a loss to the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, and then Washington rookie QB Jayden Daniels put on a show in a surprising Monday night win.

Here’s how we see it:

Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals Prediction

• Bengals +2.5 (110) at
  FanDuel
  
  
• Over 48.5 (-115) at FanDuel

In the NFL, things change dramatically from week to week. Nothing carries over. The Ravens looked like one of the best teams in football last week against the Bills, but we think the Bengals are the most desperate team and will get this one at home.

We like taking the points at home and the over, because both of these teams can score. The Bengals’ familiarity with the Ravens attack works in their favor. The Bengals defense is getting healthy, but it is worth noting that standout defensive end Trey Hendrickson was on the injury list this week, and so is quarterback Joe Burrow with a wrist ailment.

Bengals defensive lineman who will play vs. BAL:

• DE Trey Hendrickson
• DE Myles Murphy
• DT McKinnley Jackson
• DT BJ Hill

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) October 4, 2024

Burrow is still one of the bright young stars in the NFL. The Bengals running game has been strong this season with a two-headed moster of Zach Moss and Chase Brown. Brown is averaging 6.3 yards per rush. Ja’Marr Chase is still one of the best receivers in the NFL with 300 yards and three TD passes. Remember, Bengals wideout Tee Higgins missed the first two games of the season.

And defensively, these aren’t your father’s Ravens. Kyle Van Noy is second in the NFL with six sacks and has flourished in the Ravens scheme, but Baltimore struggled on defense the first two weeks and had to survive a late Dallas rally in Week 3.

Also, Ravens superstar kicker Justin Tucker is starting to show his age (34). He is still a Hall of Famer at this stage of his career, but he’s only 5-8 this season.

The best moneyline bet on the Ravens is -135 at DraftKings and on the Bengals at +122 at FanDuel. We like that number at FanDuel a lot.

The Week 5 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals is shaping up to be an exciting game between two AFC North rivals. Both teams are coming off wins in Week 4 and will be looking to continue their momentum in this divisional showdown.

The Ravens are currently sitting at 3-1 and are coming off a dominant 23-7 win over the Denver Broncos. Quarterback Lamar Jackson has been playing at an MVP level, leading the Ravens offense with his dual-threat abilities. The Ravens defense has also been impressive, ranking in the top 10 in both points allowed and total yards allowed per game.

On the other side, the Bengals are also coming off a win in Week 4, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-21. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been playing well in his second season, throwing for over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns so far. The Bengals defense has been a bit of a weakness, ranking near the bottom of the league in points allowed per game.

In terms of predictions, this game could go either way. The Ravens have the edge in terms of overall talent and experience, but the Bengals have shown that they can compete with anyone on any given day. It will likely come down to which team can make the fewest mistakes and capitalize on their opportunities.

As for picks, the Ravens are currently favored by 6.5 points according to most sportsbooks. While that may seem like a large spread, the Ravens have the potential to cover it if they can continue to play at a high level on both sides of the ball. However, divisional games are always tough and the Bengals could easily keep it close or even pull off an upset.

In terms of odds, the over/under for this game is currently set at 47 points. Both teams have shown the ability to put up points, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a high-scoring affair. However, both defenses have also been solid at times, so it’s possible that this game could end up being lower scoring than expected.

Overall, this Week 5 matchup between the Ravens and Bengals has all the makings of a competitive and entertaining game. Fans of both teams will be eagerly watching to see which team comes out on top in this crucial divisional matchup.