New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati Bengals 9/8/24 – The first week of the NFL season features an exciting clash between the New England Patriots and the Cincinnati Bengals. Regular season approaches these teams with contrasting records on and off the field and with different expectations, but it has been proven in the past that upsets are the order of the day in the NFL’s month of September. This Sunday, however, the battle at Paycor Stadium will be quite critical, both earnestly seeking to get out of the blocks with a win against their opponents to kickstart their season. An early siege in this game, which gives a foreshadowing of the future struggle of these teams in the fierce battles of the NFL, makes its place one of the NFL top free predictions to watch.
New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati Bengals 9/8/24
| When: | Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 1:00 PM ET |
|---|---|
| Where: | Paycor Stadium |
| TV: | CBS |
| Stream: | NFL Game Pass |
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | +7.5 (-106) | 42.5 over (-111) | +328 |  |
| Bengals | -7.5 (-116) | 42.5 under (-111) | -393 | |
| ||||
Patriots make changes to the practice squad: https://t.co/ext8RUTwLd pic.twitter.com/7NUPv5lhA0
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 3, 2024
The betting lines reveal a significant leaning towards the Cincinnati Bengals as favorites at home with a -7.5 point spread. The over/under set at 42.5 suggests expectations of a moderately high-scoring game, aligning with both teams’ recent tendencies to push the score over in numerous occasions.
Drake Maye QB vs. Logan Woodside QB
The Patriots’ enigma under center, quarterback Drake Maye, seems to be the one worthy of a backward glance at the patterns of play observed prior, having completed 61.8 percent of passes during the preseason with a passer rating of 86.9. Maye’s further challenge will be to use this as the foundation of success in the regular season, as the Bengals will present a tougher challenge. Maye, who has only been sacked once and thrown none, has the numbers to show.
Logan Woodside of the Bengals has intact leads, however, with a 70.7 percent completion rate he commenced the season while 85.3 for the passer’s rating is still relatively good. Perhaps it is Woodside’s experience that could be a cause for concern as he appears capable of performing at a higher level than expected for the Patriots’ defense with 2 touchdown passes and higher passing yards per game average.
When these two quarterbacks battle, so much may depend on how they perform in the game. QB Maye will have to manage the errors made while Woodside will need to make the most of the chances that are given. It is a classic potential versus experience situation, where both need to go and take control early to establish the identity of their team.
Patriotic Ground Game and Air Attack
The Patriots’ offensive strategy will likely revolve around their young quarterback and the dual-threat capability of their running back, Terrell Jennings. Jennings, who averaged 6.2 yards per carry in the preseason, needs to break through the Bengals’ front to alleviate pressure on Maye. Additionally, Kayshon Boutte’s ability to stretch the field and his 12.7 yards per reception could be critical in shifting the defensive focus away from the run game.
Bengals’ Offensive Prowess
Cincinnati’s offense seems to have more depth with Trayveon Williams, who has proven his ability to consistently gain yards on the ground. His support will be crucial for Woodside, who will also look to connect with Jermaine Burton. Burton’s impressive 19.6 yards per reception and two touchdowns in just three preseason games highlight his potential to break a game open against the Patriots’ secondary.
Trends
New England Patriots Betting Trends
New England are 5-14-1 ATS in their last 20 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New England’s last 5 games.
New England are 2-8 SU in their last 10 games.
Patriots are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against Cincinnati.
New England are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games against Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Bengals Betting Trends
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati’s last 6 games.
Cincinnati are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cincinnati’s last 10 games against New England.
Cincinnati are 13-3 SU in their last 16 games at home.
Cincinnati are 6-3 ATS in their last 9 games when playing at home against New England.
New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati Bengals Betting Prediction
Taking into account the preseason form and previous interactions between the teams, there is a chance that the match will be more even than what the odds suggest. The Patriots may beat the point spread in view of their ATS results with the Bengals. Nevertheless, the good home record and offensive threats of the Cincinnati team make them the better team to back for a victory.
Betting on prop bets, one could easily advise taking the over on the passing yardage of both currently active quarterbacks from the trends and defensive weaknesses posed. As per a simple wager, it seems wise to back the Bengals to win and cover as well with the statistics of playing at home and the usual form that the team always carries in such circumstances. Considering how much is at stake in this particular game and the likelihood of so many unpredictable turn of events, it is a very entertaining game to watch and bet on and certainly qualifies it as one of the top-tier online sportsbooks for NFL Week 1.
Score Prediction: Bengals 27, Patriots 20.
