The Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens are two of the four teams with winning records in the highly competitive AFC North division and the Bengals can be hopeful of striking a key blow against their rivals in Sunday's clash in Maryland.
The Bengals went into their bye week with a 3-2 record after a 31-24 win in Miami in Week 5, while the Ravens fell to 4-2 last week when they were the victims of a late rally by surprise divisional leaders the Cleveland Browns in a 13-10 defeat.
The teams were seen as the prime candidates to win the division at the start of the NFL season and their first head-to-head clash of the year at M&T Bank Stadium could prove to be a crucial contest.
Baltimore Ravens v Cincinnati Bengals Tips Summary
Best Bet - Cincinnati Bengals to win @ 20/31
Alternative Bet - Ja'Marr Chase anytime touchdown scorer @ 21/20
Bet Builder - Tee Higgins over 64.5 receiving yards, Derrick Henry over 87.5 rushing yards, Kyle Hamilton over 6.5 tackles and assists @ 5/1
Baltimore Ravens v Cincinnati Bengals Prediction
Best Bet: Cincinnati Bengals to win @ 20/31
The Bengals and Ravens were expected to fight it out for the AFC North crown this season and while the field now looks more crowded than that, with the Steelers and Browns off to 4-2 starts, this could be a huge game in the division.
Both teams have lost their only divisional derby so far, with the Bengals edged out 30-27 by Pittsburgh and the Ravens going down 13-10 in Cleveland last week, so with tiebreakers likely to be a factor, neither side will want to fall to 0-2 in these key clashes.
The Bengals look the better value bet to come out on top as they arrive in Maryland fresh from their bye week and with an offence capable of doing more damage than the Browns unit who found that 13 points was enough to beat Baltimore last week.
The away side is at full strength, while the Ravens are missing some key defensive players, including their sack leader Tavius Robinson, and QB Lamar Jackson is not likely to be 100 per cent fit even if he plays after missing the last two games with an ankle injury.
Alternative Bet: Ja'Marr Chase anytime touchdown scorer @ 21/20
Ja'Marr Chase had the fourth-most receiving yards in the 2025 NFL regular season but is off to a more modest start this year, with only 289 in his first five games.
QB Joe Burrow still knows how to find him in the end zone, though, as Chase has scored four touchdowns in his last four games, including two against the tough Texans defence.
With the Ravens missing safety Jaylinn Hawkins for this game, they could be vulnerable to the best receiving duo in the game and Chase is a leading candidate to score a touchdown after having 242 receiving yards in two games against the Ravens last season.
Baltimore Ravens v Cincinnati Bengals Bet Builder Tip
- Tee Higgins over 64.5 receiving yards
- Derrick Henry over 87.5 rushing yards
- Kyle Hamilton over 6.5 tackles and assists
Pays 5/1
Start a three-leg bet builder on this key AFC North clash by taking Bengals receiver Tee Higgins to have 65 or more receiving yards.
Higgins' last two games have brought him contrasting totals of 157 yards against the Jaguars and just 22 against the Dolphins but the most recent result looks to be the outlier as his first three appearances brought totals of 59, 95 and 90 yards.
Running back Derrick Henry remains a key man for Baltimore and he can power their offence with 88 or more rushing yards. Henry was kept quiet by Cleveland last week but still has 534 rushing yards and seven TDs already this season and he had a 100-yard game on his last encounter with the Bengals.
Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton is a dynamic player and he could be in for a busy day keeping tabs on the Cincinnati receivers. He has had 32 solo tackles and 14 assists so far this season and can add at least seven more on Sunday.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
- The Ravens have covered the handicap in only two of their six games this season
- The Bengals have won two of their first three away games
- The away side won both meetings between the teams last season
- Tight end Mike Gesicki and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase each have four receiving TDs for the Bengals this season
- Baltimore's Derrick Henry is fourth in the NFL with 534 rushing yards this season
Tactics, Form and Team News
The Ravens (4-2 after last week's 13-10 loss to the Browns) have ruled out two defensive starters in safety Jaylinn Hawkins (knee) and linebacker Tavius Robinson (pectoral), who is set to miss the rest of the season.
Cornerback TJ Tampa (knee) is rated doubtful to play, while defensive tackle Broderick Washington Jr (ankle) is listed as questionable after missing last week's game.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson hopes to return after an ankle injury but a late decision is likely to be made. Tyler Huntley will make a third successive start if Jackson is not cleared.
The Bengals (3-2 after beating the Dolphins 31-24 in Week 5) have come out of their bye week in great shape. They are expected to have a full roster available, with safety Kyle Dugger (quadricep) fit again, while three defensive linemen were excused practice on Friday to ensure they are fresh for the game.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
