The surging Cincinnati Bengals host the L.A. Chargers in a game that features the biggest total (tied with Bucs-Falcons) on the NFL’s Week 13 slate.
The Bengals have been prolific in their last two games since coming off a bye week. They scored a combined 73 points in wins over Las Vegas and Pittsburgh, respectively.
The Chargers have played the role of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde during that span. L.A. exploded on offense two weeks ago at home in a 41-37 comeback win over the Steelers, only to fall flat in a 28-13 loss at Denver last Sunday.
The consensus number across the sports betting industry Thursday afternoon was 50.5, but PointsBet offered a more attractive total of 50 for OVER bettors. The total has gone OVER in four of Cincy’s last five games.
Let’s review the rest of the Week 13 slate with all lines current as of Thursday afternoon.
Thursday: Cowboys at Saints (O/U 47)
Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy is out with Covid, but that’s not what concerns us about this total. The Cowboys have gone UNDER in four of their last five tilts. Taysom Hill will start at QB for the Saints, who will once again be missing their most dynamic player in RB Alvin Kamara (knee).
Vikings at Lions (O/U 46.5)
Minnesota is 5-1 to the OVER in road games this year. The Vikings are playing their second straight away game after a 34-26 loss at San Francisco that went OVER.
Cardinals at Bears (O/U 44)
Kyler Murray (ankle) was limited in Wednesday’s practice, so you wonder if he’ll ever return at this point. Seriously, though, it’d be nice to know his status beforehand, as the Bears have cashed four UNDER bets in their last five games at home.
Bucs at Falcons (O/U 50.5)
This appears to be an obvious OVER play based on Tampa Bay’s recent resurgence. The Bucs have put up a combined 68 points in their past two games (both wins) since losing to Washington. Atlanta has been underwhelming on offense, though, so pump the brakes a bit here.
Broncos at Chiefs (O/U 47)
Kansas City has returned to Super Bowl contender status, but its defense has been largely responsible for that development. Aside from a 41-14 win at Las Vegas, the Chiefs have failed to score more than 20 points in their last five games.
Colts at Texans (O/U 45.5)
Perhaps Indy will take out its frustration on Houston after that heartbreaker of a loss to Tampa Bay. I just don’t trust the Texans to do enough in this spot.
Eagles at Jets (O/U 45)
Speaking of trust issues, betting the Jets in any capacity is a scary proposition. NYJ has gone UNDER in two straight games to firmly end a previous run of six consecutive OVERS. No, thanks.
Giants at Dolphins (O/U 40.5)
Tua Tagovailoa connected on every single pass against the Panthers in a 33-10 win last week. Or, at least it seemed that way to this hard-bitten Carolina fan. With a total so low, this is the sneaky OVER play of the week.
WFT at Raiders (O/U 49.5)
The Footballers continued their recent roll with a 17-15 MNF win against Seattle. This total seems a tad high, but the Raiders are 4-2 to the OVER at Allegiant Stadium.
Ravens at Steelers (O/U 44)
This game just feels like a big old welt. The Ravens have been scoring very little and winning ugly in the process. They’ve averaged 16 points in wins the past two weeks after scoring just 10 in a loss at Miami.
Jags at Rams (O/U 48)
The Rams must have some serious pent-up frustration after dropping their last three games. But Jacksonville is cashing UNDER tickets on the regular, going 5-0 in its last five games.
49ers at Seahawks (O/U 45.5)
Coincidentally, Seattle has matched Jacksonville in UNDERS during that recent five-game span. It’s a dubious distinction, of course, and there’s little left to play for in Seattle.
Monday: Patriots at Bills (O/U 43)
This is an intriguing number. It’s worth noting that the Pats have gone 6-0 ATS during their six-game winning streak, and they’ve also played to the OVER in four of those games.
Also read: TNF Preview: Take Coach-less Cowboys To Cover Against New Orleans
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