Bills vs. Bengals NFL Predictions for Monday Night Football on January 2, 2023

Updated: Dec 21, 2023, 7:55PM | First published: Dec 21, 2022, 10:15PM

Bills vs. Bengals NFL Predictions for Monday Night Football on January 2, 2023

There’s a chance this Monday Night Football showdown between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals won’t be the only time the two meet this January. Players, coaches and fans of both teams sure wouldn’t mind a rematch in the AFC Championship Game between defending conference champion Cincinnati and a Buffalo team that’s been knocking on the door of reaching the Super Bowl for a few years. The Bills have won six straight and wrapped up the AFC East crown last Saturday with a victory in Chicago, while the Bengals have won seven in a row and are looking to clinch the AFC North and jump Buffalo in the seedings. Find out how we think this one will play out in our Bills vs. Bengals betting preview.

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Bills vs. Bengals Computer Picks

Predictive Analytics Data

58% chance the Bengals cover the +2.5-point spread
56% chance the Bills win on the moneyline
51% probability Bills-Bengals goes Under 50.5

For the best NFL computer picks, check out our Bills vs. Bengals data predictions. They are constantly updating based on hundreds of different data points.

Bills vs. Bengals Odds and Betting Lines

Will The Bills Cover The Spread?

The Bills would be the first ones to admit they haven’t played a complete 60-minute game in quite some time, and that’s what it’ll take to knock off Joe Burrow & Co.

Buffalo was sleepwalking in the first half at Chicago and trailed 10-6 at halftime before exploding for 29 points in the second half for a runaway victory. Two weeks earlier, the Bills were tied with the Jets in the third quarter before finding another gear. And on Thanksgiving Day, it took a field goal with :02 remaining to get by the Lions.

Will The Bengals Cover The Spread?

Buffalo’s defense hasn’t faced too many dangerous passing offenses as of late — its winning streak list of victims includes the Browns (with Jacoby Brissett), Patriots, Jets and Bears — but will surely be put to the test by Burrow and his talented partners in crime.

Burrow, who ranks second behind only Patrick Mahomes in passing yards with 4,260, will look to burn a Buffalo unit that ranks 14th against the pass but fourth against the run. The Bills have allowed only 18 passing scores, however, while Josh Allen has 32.

Why The Over Will Hit

Whenever there’s a matchup between two of the league’s most prolific passers, the Under is in trouble. Both quarterbacks have thrown for better than 4,000 yards and as long as the weather isn’t a major factor, the offenses should be moving the chains all night.

Burrow, who has 34 passing touchdowns, has been sacked only 26 times but will be without one of his main protectors, La’el Collins, for the rest of the season due to a knee injury suffered last week against New England.

Why The Under Will Hit

This number might be a tough sell for most bettors, but four of the past five Bengals games have stayed Under — including its past two at home versus Cleveland and Kansas City.

Cincinnati is also a top-10 defense against the run, allowing only 107 yards per game on the ground. Buffalo’s defense is No. 7 overall.

Bills vs. Bengals Prediction

Lean: Bengals +1.5

Both teams are on fire in the win column and have what it takes to make a deep playoff run. Cincinnati has been a little more convincing over the past two months and deserves a slight nod at home where it has won 5 of 6.

Written by

Tony Bellissimo

Tony Bellissimo, with over 25 years of sports reporting and editing experience, has earned multiple New York State Press Association awards and oversees sports coverage for 30 high schools and several colleges on Long Island.