The Cincinnati Bengals are headed to the playoffs, but before that, they want to avenge their embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns several weeks ago. They will get their chance to do that this week when they take on Baker Mayfield and company on the road. Cleveland definitely would love to score a win before entering another intriguing offseason. Check out our preview below of this Bengals-Browns Week 18 game.
The Bengals are the champions of the NFC North division. They locked up the division title by beating the Kansas City Chiefs at home in Week 17, 34-31. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase were too much for the Chiefs, as the pair outdueled Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s offense. That’s saying a lot about how big of a danger to opposing teams Cincinnati’s offense is. Burrow passed for 446 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions on 30/39 completions. Chase, meanwhile, wrecked Kansas City’s secondary and finished with 266 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches and 12 targets. Cincinnati’s offense has been something else of late. Before beating Kansas City, the Bengals bludgeoned the Baltimore Ravens at home in a 41-21 victory in Week 16. The hope for the Bengals is that they’ll sustain that form in Week 18 when they look to avenge their 41-16 home loss to the Browns back in Week 9.
The Bengals are 11-3 against the spread in their last 14 games versus Cleveland.
The Browns have been ousted from playoff contention with a 26-14 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17. Cleveland looked like a team that just wanted for the season to end instead of one that was hell-bent on making the postseason. Baker Mayfield passed for 185 yards with two touchdowns, but got intercepted twice and sacked a total of nine times for a loss of 46 yards. Nick Chubb only had 58 rushing yards on 12 carries. The Browns should have fed Chubb more touches, but they didn’t. Maybe they will in Week 18 against the Bengals’ defense that got carved up by Chubb in Week 9 when he rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries. Cleveland’s defense that looked listless against the Steelers will have to show some fight in the regular-season finale. The Browns intercepted Burrow twice in the first meeting and threw him to the ground five times.
The under is 5-0 in the Browns’ last 5 games after giving up more than 150 rushing yards in their previous outing.
