Two teams fighting for the playoffs take the field when the Cincinnati Bengals travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers for the latest edition of Sunday Night Football.
In a game that both teams desperately need to win, who should you back to make a winning NFL pick? Let’s dive into the NFL odds at the top sportsbooks to find out.
NFL Pick: Under 47 (-110) at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Sunday, November 17, 2024 – 08:20 PM ET at SoFi Stadium
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals put on a show on Thursday Night Football but fell to the Baltimore Ravens once again, this time at a final score of 35-34. This was their second close loss to Baltimore this season and dropped them to 4-6 in the standings. Anyone who watches this team can tell you that they’re much better than the record suggests, but they’re going to have to go on a winning streak in order to make the playoffs this season. The Bengals are led by star QB Joe Burrow.
WR Ja’Marr Chase was the star of the Thursday night loss with 11 catches, 264 yards, and three touchdowns. It was not enough to get the victory on Thursday night, but we can expect another heavy dose of Chase against the Chargers on Sunday.
Cincinnati does not have a balanced offensive attack. They are third in passing yards at 267.2 yards per game but only 29th in rushing yards at 89.7 yards per game. The Bengals are 6th in points, however, at 27 points per game.
The Bengals have the 12th overall offense in yards per game at 344.5, and they will be put to the test by the Chargers, who are 6th overall defense at 302.1 yards per game.
This team has struggled on the defensive side of the ball this year. They are 23rd in yards allowed at 347.5 yards per game. They are going to need to tighten up defensively if they’re going to make this playoff push.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have won three games in a row. Their most recent outing was a 27-17 win against the struggling Tennessee Titans. The win improved the Chargers to 6-3, and they are looking like a strong candidate to make a playoff spot this season.
A win on Sunday would go a long way toward their playoff push because the Bengals will be trying to catch the Chargers. A win by Los Angeles could effectively end the hopes of Cincinnati for catching Los Angeles this season.
We have teams with two opposite styles facing off in this game. The Bengals are led by their high-scoring offense, the Chargers are led by a lockdown defense. The Chargers are first in points against at 13.1 points per game. This team is the first since the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs to allow 20 or fewer points in each of its first nine games. This elite Chargers defense will be put to the test against the high-powered Cincinnati Bengals offense this week.
From a statistical standpoint, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is not having a huge season. However, there was one stat that jumped out. It is his touchdown to interception ratio. Herbert has thrown for 11 touchdowns and only one interception, giving him a quarterback rating of 103.2 this season.
The Chargers like to minimize Herbert’s attempts and are led by a strong rushing attack. RB JK Dobbins has been the featured back. He has rushed for 675 yards and an average of 4.75 yards per carry this season. The Chargers will try to get Dobbins involved early in order to control the clock.
Key Matchup: Chargers Offensive Line vs Bengals Defensive Line
Many thought that the Los Angeles Chargers would draft one of the many star wide receivers in this year’s draft with the number 5 overall pick this season. The Chargers went against the grain and selected offensive tackle Joe Alt out of Notre Dame.
When asked why he did not draft an offensive weapon after losing their two top wide receivers this offseason, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh replied, “I think an offensive tackle is a weapon”. This shows the approach of Harbaugh and the Chargers to the game of football. They want to win at the line of scrimmage and the offensive line play will be key if they are going to continue their success against the Bengals this week.
If the Chargers are able to get a strong rushing game and control the clock, keeping the ball out of Joe Burrow’s hands, Los Angeles has an excellent chance to continue their win streak. If the Bengals are able to shut down the Chargers run game, they should be in line to get a victory.
The Pick
I think this is a tough game to call. I do lean towards the Chargers. However, the best bet on this game is the under.
The Chargers have a historically good defense and will attempt to play keep away against the Cincinnati Bengals by focusing on ball control on offense. Although the Bengals do have an elite offense, the Chargers strong defense will be able to keep them off the board.
This will be a close, exciting game, but it will be a low-scoring game. The best bet for this game is the under 47.
NFL Pick: Under 47 (-110) at Bet365
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