Patriots Vs Bengals: Week 1 Game Preview

The New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals will kick off their NFL regular season on September 8th at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Both teams are looking to start strong after disappointing finishes in their respective preseason finalés. The Bengals are favored to win, according to betting predictions.

Game Preview Information

• Date: Sunday, September 8, 2024
• Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
• Location: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
• TV: CBS
• Stream: NFL+/Fubo TV

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: New England Patriots (+350) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (-450)
• Spread: New England Patriots +9 (-110) vs. Cincinnati Bengals -9 (-110)
• Total (Over/Under): 40.5 points

New England Patriots Analysis

The Patriots concluded their preseason with a 20-10 loss to the Washington Commanders. This will be their first regular-season game under new head coach Jerod Mayo. The team struggled offensively in the preseason, averaging 13.88 points per game and 180.53 passing yards. On the defensive side, they allowed opponents to score an average of 21.53 points per game.

Key Players

• Drake Maye (QB): 192 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions
• Kayshon Boutte (WR): 6 receptions, 76 yards, 0 touchdowns
• Marcus Jones (DB): 4 solo tackles, 0 forced fumbles, 0 interceptions, 0 passes defended (2023)

Cincinnati Bengals Analysis

The Bengals, led by head coach Zac Taylor, enter the season after a 27-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in their preseason finale. The team finished 9-8 last season and is looking to improve this year. Offensively, the Bengals averaged 21.53 points per game, while defensively, they allowed 22.59 points per game.

Key Players

• Joe Burrow (QB): 51 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions
• Ja’Marr Chase (WR): 100 receptions, 1,216 yards, 7 touchdowns (2023)
• Trey Hendrickson (DE): 28 solo tackles, 17.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 0 interceptions (2023)

Injury Report

New England Patriots

• Jacoby Brissett (QB): Questionable with a shoulder injury
• Armon Watts (DT): On injured reserve, undisclosed injury
• Calvin Anderson (T): On injured reserve, undisclosed injury
• Marte Mapu (LB): On injured reserve, undisclosed injury

Cincinnati Bengals

• Chris Evans (RB): Out for season with a leg injury
• D’Ante Smith (T): Out for season with a knee injury

Game Prediction

The Bengals are considered the stronger team, and they have shown promising performances in the preseason. The Patriots need to play aggressively to match up against Cincinnati. The predicted score is a 24-14 win for the Bengals.

Betting Insights

Cincinnati Bengals

• Covered the spread in seven out of 17 games last season.
• Combined scores went over the point total 10 times.
• Won seven out of 12 games as the moneyline favorite (58.3%).
• Held a 6-3 home record and covered the spread four times at home.
• Average total points in games was 43.6, 2.6 points higher than the current over/under.

New England Patriots

• Finished last season 5-12 against the spread (ATS).
• Covered the spread once in two opportunities when underdogs by 9 points or more.
• Combined scores went over the point total seven times.
• Won three of the 12 games as underdogs (25%).
• Held a 4-4 record against the spread on the road and 3-5 overall.
• Average total points in games was 39.4, 1.6 points lower than the total for this matchup.