Joe Burrow will play in his first game since November 16, 2023
Jacoby Brissett will start at QB for the Patriots
The Bengals have the most prominent point spread of Week 1 (-9.5)
Joe Burrow will return to action for the first time since November 16, 2023. Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury against the Steelers last season when Cincinnati was beginning to gain momentum.
The quarterback is better than ever and should have a relatively easy time against the Patriots. As we approach kickoff, the Bengals are nearing a 10-point favorite and are expected to make a statement against New England on Sunday.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Place your bets at FanDuel and claim $200 in bonus bets, plus three weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket.
Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Patriots | +9.5 (-115) | +350 | Over 40.5 (-110) |
Bengals | -9.5 (-105) | -450 | Under 40.5 (-110) |
My Pick: Bengals -9.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook
The Bengals to cover is the most viable betting pick for the season opener.
Cincinnati returns a stacked lineup of players while the Patriots enter a rebuild. This is the first year without Bill Belichick at the helm, so there should be plenty of growing pains for the Patriots.
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Burrow's return is the biggest storyline heading into Week 1 in Bengals vs. Patriots. The quarterback has widely been regarded as the second-best in the league behind Patrick Mahomes.
While the Patriots don’t have the best offense, they are solid on defense. Burrow can tear up the best defenses in the league, but New England should have more success on this side of the ball than in scoring.
Even if the Patriots' defense neutralizes the Bengals, the team will struggle to score points as it returns one of the worst-scoring offenses in the NFL.
The Bengals have Super Bowl aspirations. The team is currently +1500 to win the Super Bowl, which is much longer than the odds for some other top contenders in the NFL.
While Burrow’s return should generate excitement, it’s hard to get behind this team because the quarterback hasn’t been able to stay healthy. While Burrow took the team to the Super Bowl three years ago, he suffered two season-ending injuries.
If Burrow stays healthy, Cincinnati will be a massive threat in the Super Bowl market. He threw for 2,309 yards with 15 touchdowns in 10 starts last season, and he has a solid wide receiver corps to work with again.
The headliner on the offense besides Burrow is Ja’Marr Chase. Chase caught 100 passes for 1,216 yards with seven touchdowns. He was 12th in receptions and yards, which is remarkable, considering he didn’t have his quarterback for much of the season.
The Bengals should have some difficulty without Joe Mixon. The team traded Mixon to the Texans in the offseason, and he was a massive part of the offense one season ago.
Zack Moss and Chase Brown have a lot of upside for Cincinnati, but there could be some growing pains for the run game.
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The Patriots are headed into a rebuild with a new coach and quarterback. They should struggle a lot in the Jerod Mayo will take over for Belichick, and his first draft pick was QB Drake Maye, who was out of North Carolina.
Maye has all the intangibles to be a great quarterback in the league, but he will start the season on the sidelines. This is the best outcome for his development.
Brissett has been a solid backup in the NFL, but he isn’t a player who will lead a team to a championship. He also didn’t look outstanding in the preseason, which should be a concern for anyone taking the points.
New England returns the worst-scoring offense in the NFL at just 13.9 points per game. Even without Burrow for half the season, the Bengals still scored 21.5 points per game. New England’s offense will be slow to start the season, and this isn’t a recipe for success against the Bengals.
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When: Sunday, September 8 @ 1:00 PM EST
Where: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Where to Watch: CBS
Massachusetts and Ohio are two legal gambling states, so some top sportsbooks will heavily cover this matchup. We’re taking Bengals -9.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Bengals Injuries
Bengals OT Amarius Mims - Questionable
Bengals DE Sam Hubbard - Questionable
Patriots Injuries
Patriots OT Tyrone Wheatly Jr. - OUT
Patriots OG Cole Strange - OUT
Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne - OUT
Patriots DT Christian Barmore - Questionable
Sunday Night Football Week 1 Picks
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