NFL Odds Week 2: Ravens vs Bengals Lines, Spreads, Betting Trends

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

NFL odds for Week 2 are on the board and receiving plenty of attention as the regular season gets ready to kick off. The Ravens and Bengals meet at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, September 17 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.

Here's everything you need to know about the NFL odds for the Week 2 game between the Ravens and Bengals: the opening lines, spreads, betting trends and more. Check back regularly for updates.

Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals Odds

• Opening point spread: Bengals -3
• Opening moneyline: Bengals -190/Ravens +160
• Opening total: Over/Under 45.5 points scored
• Time: 1 p.m. ET Sunday (CBS)

UPDATE 6 P.M. ET FRIDAY: BetMGM opened the Bengals -3 (-105) and has spent most of the week at -3.5, at various juice. The line is currently Cincy -3.5 (-105). Ticket count is dead even, while 60% of money is on the Bengals.

The total backed up from 45.5 to 44.5 Monday, but it's spent most of the week at its peak of 46.5. That said, 84% of early tickets/72% of early dollars are on the Under.

UPDATE 4 P.M. ET WEDNESDAY: Cincinnati opened and remains -2.5 on TwinSpires' NFL Week 2 odds board. Early bettors are on the road underdog, with tickets just shy of 2/1 and money 2.5/1 on the Ravens.

"The Ravens are the trendy 'dog of the week. Bettors can't stay away from the +3.5," Lucas said.

The total crept from 46.5 to 46, with 52% of tickets/59% of money on the Over.

UPDATE 10 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Joe Burrow led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl two seasons ago and the AFC Championship Game last year. But the Bengals (0-1 SU and ATS) didn't look like either of those teams in Week 1.

Cincy flatlined in a 24-3 road loss to Cleveland, mustering only a second-quarter field goal as a 1-point road chalk.

On the flip side, Baltimore (1-0 SU and ATS) did what was expected against Houston. The Ravens notched a 25-9 victory laying 9.5 points at home. But running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles and is done for the season.

These AFC North rivals met three times last season. Baltimore won and cashed at home, but Cincinnati later beat the Ravens in back-to-back contests (1-0-1 ATS), in Week 18 and an AFC Wild Card game. But Baltimore didn't have Lamar Jackson for either of those meetings.

"Our lookahead was Cincy -3.5. But after the offense looked pretty inept today, we re-opened Cincy -3," Michaelson said this evening. "Going any lower than a field goal would invite the wiseguys to lay it with a team that still has a higher power rating than the Ravens, at home. It'll be interesting to see how the public looks at this game, because they've grown to trust Joe Burrow and the Bengals at home.

"But at the same time, it didn't look like the Joe Burrow of old today."

Click here for Vegas Insider senior reporter Patrick Everson's full NFL Odds Week 2 Report containing spreads, lines, and trends for every NFL matchup.

Ravens vs Bengals Pick, Prediction

Action Network NFL betting expert Brandon Anderson offers this prediction:

The Bengals have won four of five against the Ravens, including a playoff game, by an average score of 30-18 but had lost five straight to Baltimore before that.

The Ravens injury list is already mounting. S Marcus Williams is the newest name missing from a secondary already missing stud CB Marlon Humphrey. The offensive line is missing its best two players in LT Ronnie Stanley and C Tyler Linderbaum. Mark Andrews is still a question mark, too.

Joe Burrow is coming off the worst game of his career, a 24-3 loss to the Browns, and it looks like that preseason calf injury might still have some lingering effects.

Lamar Jackson is a remarkable 10-1 ATS (91%) as an underdog for his career, including 7-4 SU, and the one failed cover was by a single point. Jackson hasn't been a dog often since his breakthrough MVP, but he almost always shows up in these spots. John Harbaugh is 59% ATS as an underdog for his career, including 18-8-1 ATS (69%) in the division.

The Ravens defense has played well against even a healthy Burrow, so you have to like your chances against this banged-up version. Every point matters in these tough AFC North battles, so grab the +3.5. This feels like a field goal game.

Pick: Ravens +3.5 (-115)

For more NFL Week 2 picks, check out Action Network's NFL Week 2: How to Bet Every Game & Every Team.

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Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson