Cincinnati Bengals vs Denver Broncos Matchup

Read our Broncos vs Bengals pick and preview for this NFL pre-season week 17 game in Cincinnati. Check out who we like to win and cover the spread in this regular season NFL matchup.

The Bengals are favored at -177 on the money line as they take on the Broncos on Saturday, December 28th at 4:30 ET. The Broncos are +150 on the money line, and the point spread is Denver +3. This week 17 AFC matchup is being played at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. The over/under line is set at 50 points, and the game can be seen on NFLN.

Broncos vs. Bengals Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals
Where: Cincinnati at Paycor Stadium
Date: Saturday, December 28th
Betting Odds CIN -3, DEN +150 | CIN -177 O/U 50

Broncos Preview:

With a 9-6 record, the Broncos have a 78.6% chance of making the playoffs, but they can’t win the AFC West. Denver ranks 20th in our power rankings and sits 7th in the AFC standings. They are 5-2 at home and 4-4 on the road, including a week 16 loss to the Chargers. Before that, they had won four straight games, including a 31-13 victory over the Colts in week 15.

Denver has a +5.5 scoring margin and is 11-4 against the spread. They are 7-0 ATS as favorites and 4-4 as underdogs. Their O/U record is 10-5, with the over hitting in four straight games.

Broncos Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 17, the Broncos are 22nd in our offensive power rankings. They sit 10th in the NFL in points per game with 24.2, despite being 22nd in passing yards (205.5) and 19th in rushing yards (108.5) per game. Denver ranks 19th in 3rd-down conversions and 20th in red zone conversion percentage, although they are 11th in red zone attempts.

Bo Nix had a strong performance in week 16, throwing for 263 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception. Marvin Mims Jr. led the team with 62 receiving yards, while Audric Estime had 48 rushing yards on 9 carries. Denver scored 21 points in the first half but managed only 3 points in the 4th quarter.

Broncos Team Defense

In their 34-27 loss to the Chargers, the Broncos' defense allowed 380 yards and 74.2% completions. They gave up 117 rushing yards on 28 attempts and allowed 263 passing yards. The defense forced one interception, but the Chargers still managed to score two passing touchdowns.

On third down, the Broncos allowed the Chargers to convert 50% of their chances. Denver's defense did come up with two sacks and had a +4 advantage in quarterback hits.

Bengals Preview:

The Bengals extended their winning streak to three games with a 24-6 victory over the Browns in week 16, bringing their record to 7-8. Cincinnati now ranks 15th in our power rankings and has a 6.7% chance of making the playoffs. They are 3rd in the AFC North and have a 2-3 division record. The Bengals are 5-3 on the road but just 2-5 at home this season.

Against the spread, Cincinnati is 9-6, including three straight wins. They covered the 10-point spread against the Browns in week 16. The over/under record for the Bengals is 10-5, with their games averaging 54.4 points per game.

Bengals Offense Breakdown

Joe Burrow has thrown for 3 touchdowns in each of his last 3 games, including a 252-yard performance in week 16, where he posted a passer rating of 134 against the Browns. In week 15, he threw for 271 yards, and in week 14, he had 369 yards. Ja'Marr Chase had 6 receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown in week 16, following a 94-yard game in week 15 and a 177-yard, 2-touchdown performance in week 14. Chase Brown led the rushing attack with 18 carries for 91 yards in week 16.

Heading into week 17, the Bengals are 6th in the NFL in points per game, averaging 28.2. They lead the league in passing yards per game with 267.3, ranking 4th in passing attempts. On the ground, they rank 29th in rushing yards per game and 26th in rushing attempts. Cincinnati ranks 4th in 3rd-down conversions but is 25th in red zone efficiency.

Bengals Team Defense

In their 24-6 win over the Browns, the Bengals' defense was dominant, allowing just 125 passing yards and forcing two interceptions. Cleveland managed only 20 completions on 34 attempts (58.8%) and struggled to sustain drives, converting only 25% of their third down attempts. Despite giving up 148 rushing yards on just 24 attempts, the Bengals were able to keep the Browns out of the endzone and limit them to only six points.

Cincinnati's defense also recorded five sacks in the game and held the Browns to an average of 3.7 yards per passing attempt. Even though they gave up some big runs, their ability to pressure the quarterback and defend the pass was key to their success in this game.

Broncos vs Bengals Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road contests, the Broncos offense has averaged 20 points per game while allowing an average of 23. Denver posted an overall record of 4-6 while going 6-4 ATS.
Cincinnati has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 30 points per game while allowing 27. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
The last three games that Denver was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 0-3 straight up.
As the betting favorite, the Bengals have an ATS mark of just 7-3 in their last ten games. Cincinnati posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.