CINCINNATI (2-2) at BALTIMORE (2-2)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT, NBC
OPENING LINE: Ravens by 3, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Bengals 2-2, Ravens 3-1.
SERIES RECORD: Ravens lead 27-25.
LAST MEETING: Bengals beat Ravens, 41-21, on Dec. 26, 2021, at Cincinnati.
LAST WEEK: Bengals beat Dolphins 27-15, Ravens lost to Bills 23-20.
BENGALS OFFENSE: OVERALL (16), RUSH (26), PASS (8), SCORING (13).
BENGALS DEFENSE: OVERALL (11), RUSH (4), PASS (19), SCORING (8).
RAVENS OFFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (8), PASS (21), SCORING (3).
RAVENS DEFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (T-14), PASS (32), SCORING (T-23).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Bengals plus-1, Ravens plus-5.
BENGALS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Ja’Marr Chase. The Cincinnati star was a major problem for the Ravens last season when he caught eight passes for 201 yards and a touchdown in a blowout win at Baltimore. He had another 125 yards receiving in the rematch at Cincinnati, when the Bengals also won.
RAVENS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Lamar Jackson. It’s the obvious choice, but with the backfield constantly in flux because of injuries, the Ravens need to rely heavily on their star quarterback. He’s accounted for 82% of Baltimore’s total offense so far this season.
KEY MATCHUP: Bengals QB Joe Burrow vs. the Baltimore secondary. Burrow threw for 941 yards and seven touchdowns against the Ravens last season, and Baltimore’s pass defense remains a work in progress. The Ravens were burned by Miami’s speedy receivers last month, although they’ve improved a bit since then.
KEY INJURIES: Cincinnati TE Devin Asiasi (ankle) missed practice time this week. … Ravens WR Rashod Bateman (foot) and LB Justin Houston (groin) missed practice time this week. Houston didn’t play last weekend and Bateman had just three catches for 17 yards. … Baltimore RB Justice Hill is recovering from a hamstring injury, which could put more pressure on RB J.K. Dobbins, who himself recently returned from a knee injury that kept him out all last season.
SERIES NOTES: The Ravens had won five straight games in the series before Cincinnati’s sweep last season. … Of Baltimore’s past 15 regular-season losses, 12 were by six points or fewer. Cincinnati was responsible for two of the more lopsided defeats, beating the Ravens by 24 and 20 in 2021. … Bengals TE Hayden Hurst was a first-round draft pick of the Ravens in 2018 and spent the 2018-19 seasons with Baltimore.
STATS AND STUFF: Cincinnati won two games in the span of five days after losing the first two games of the season. … Hurst had his first TD catch as a Bengal last week. … The Bengals have scored on 10 of 13 red zone possessions (76.9%). … Burrow has thrown five of his eight touchdown passes in the past two games. In last week’s win over Miami, he was 20 for 31 for a season-high 287 yards and two touchdowns. … Burrow’s 9.3 yards per completion was also a season high. … Cincinnati WR Tee Higgins had his best game of the season against the Dolphins, making seven catches for 124 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. … The Bengals defense has limited opponents to a 72.2 passer rating. … LB Logan Wilson leads the Bengals with 26 total tackles. … DE Trey Hendrickson leads the team with 2½ sacks. … Cincinnati RB Joe Mixon, after a Pro Bowl season in 2021, is averaging only 2.7 yards per carry as the Bengals have struggled to run the ball. … Baltimore is 0-2 at home this season, having blown leads of 21 and 17 points in the two games. … The Ravens are 18-2 at home in prime-time games under John Harbaugh. … Baltimore S Marcus Williams has three interceptions and a fumble recovery. … The Ravens are the second team in NFL history to have three teammates with at least 90 sacks — DE Calais Campbell, LB Jason Pierre-Paul and Houston. The 1994 Green Bay Packers had Reggie White, Steve McMichael and Sean Jones.
FANTASY TIP: Look for Baltimore TE Mark Andrews to rebound from a quiet game against the Bills — especially if Bateman is limited.
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