Bengals vs. Chiefs odds, betting trends, expert picks and predictions

The oddsmakers and experts heavily favor the Chiefs going into Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals may be the home team again this week, but the Kansas City Chiefs look like they are back to being a legitimate favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, again. The Bengals understandably won’t be heavily favored. However, this is a golden opportunity to not only get a feel for a playoff team, but prove Cincinnati belongs with teams like Kansas City in the playoffs.

Odds

The Bengals are currently 4.5-point underdogs at home, according to DraftKings sportsbook. Vegas and the oddsmakers usually have a very good pulse on these kinds of things, that number has to be pretty tempting for anyone who thinks the Bengals will be able to replicate what they did last week against the Baltimore Ravens.

The over/under is set at 51 points. It is hard to imagine this game isn’t going to turn into a shootout at some point. Quarterbacks like Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes having the kind of weapons around them that they do makes it pretty hard for either team to be bottled up.

Betting Trends

• Cincinnati are 4-2 against the spread in their last six games.
• The total has gone over in six of Cincinnati’s last nine games.
• Cincinnati are 4-2 straight up in their last six games.
• The total has gone under in nine of Cincinnati’s last 11 games against Kansas City.
• The total has gone over in four of Cincinnati’s last five games at home.
• Cincinnati are 5-0 straight up in their last five games when playing at home against Kansas City.
• Cincinnati are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games against an opponent in the AFC.
• The total has gone under in four of Cincinnati’s last five games against an opponent in the AFC West.
• Cincinnati are 2-12 straight up in their last 14 games played in January.
• Cincinnati are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games played in week 17.
• Kansas City are 6-0 against the spread in their last six games.
• The total has gone over in four of Kansas City’s last six games.
• Kansas City are 8-0 straight up in their last eight games.
• Kansas City are 14-3 straight up in their last 17 games on the road.
• Kansas City are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games this season.
• Kansas City are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games against an opponent in the AFC.
• The total has gone over in six of Kansas City’s last eight games against an opponent in the AFC North.

Expert predictions

• Bleacher Report has two of their six experts going with the Bengals
• One of CBS Sports’ five experts are tacking the Cincinnati upset
• All eight of the Athletics’ writers are taking the Chiefs
• NFL Pick Watch, which takes into account picks from across the web, has Cincinnati receiving 16 percent of the picks.

It isn’t a surprise to see the Chiefs so heavily favored. They are where the Bengals are trying to prove where they can be. Kansas City has come into these big meaningful games and proven they can win them. Cincinnati has been iffy with that this season as a young budding team.

The Bengals are hopefully catching fire right at the perfect time to put the rest of the AFC North’s hopes of winning the division on ice a week early. A win this week is just way more of a confidence boost than making the playoffs. It is a statement that they aren’t just looking to rid themselves of a 30-year playoff win drought. They are looking to make a run with the best of them.