The 8-4 Buffalo Bills host the 4-8 Cincinnati Bengals as both teams are only two games behind in their respective divisions, despite their differing records. Once again, the Bills will be without a few notable players as Terrel Bernard and Joey Bosa have already been ruled out. Left Tackle Dion Dawkins has cleared concussion protocol, while Right Tackle Spencer Brown is listed as questionable. Regardless of Brown missing more time, our backups held their own against a much better Steelers pass rush and should be fine to start against the Bengals.
Stats to Know
Let’s take a look at each team’s offense. The Buffalo Bills are 2nd in the league in total yards per game (381.0) and are 5th in points per game (28.1). The Cincinnati Bengals are 22nd in yards per game (313.3). The Bengals are also 16th in points per game (23.3)—a 68-yard difference and about a 5-point advantage in Buffalo’s favor.
Now, let’s take a look at how their defenses stack up in this matchup. Buffalo’s defense ranks 8th in yards allowed per game (304.5). The Bills rank 13th with 21.6 points allowed per game. Cincinnati, on the other hand, is dead last in the league through 13 weeks in yards allowed (410.0) and later in points allowed per game (31.2). Buffalo’s defense, on average, allows about 105 fewer yards than the Bengals and allows 10 fewer points per game.
Now, let’s take these numbers and average them out. The Bills’ offense should have around 395 total yards and about 30 points, while the Bengals’ offense should have around 309 yards and about 22 points on Sunday. This gives the Bills a major 8-point and 86-yard advantage overall, with the Vegas line being -6, favoring Buffalo. The Bengals are 5-7 covering the spread, while the Bills are 6-6 covering. Betting the Bills at -6 is a great line in my opinion. The Bengals’ high-powered offense will score more than their averages display due to Joe Burrow being back, but I believe Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will win by at least a touchdown.
Who’s Hot & Who’s Cold?
As always, let’s take a look at some players on both teams that are hot and some that are cold heading into this matchup.
- James Cook has 303 total yards and a TD over the past two games. Cook is having another stellar season as he’s already over 1450 total yards.
- Josh Allen is having another rough stretch of football. In the last two games, Allen has less than 400 total passing yards and 3 interceptions. Buffalo needs Allen to take care of the ball for any chance at winning the division, especially in week 15.
- Chase Brown is having a majestic 2nd half of the season, more specifically the last 3 games Brown is averaging over 5 yards a carry, and is aiding in the passing attack with about 6 receptions a game in the same time.
- The Bengals’ Defense is abysmal. They are leading the league in points allowed and yards allowed. They will be the reason the Bengals lose, if they do.
Game Predictions
This will be a high-scoring affair, with the Bills winning 38-30. Maxwell Hairston and Cole Bishop continue making plays in their young careers and get a few key pass deflections. James Cook and Chase Brown will both have 125 Scrimmage yards.
A Look Ahead
If Buffalo wins, they’ll be two games behind the Patriots as they travel to Foxborough with a chance to reduce the gap to one game heading into the final few weeks. Buffalo then takes on the Browns, Eagles, and Jets to close out the season.
Check out all of my previous articles alongside all regular season articles available here: 2025 Season Series, and make sure to use code DL10 for 10% off all memberships! Also, tune in on YouTube to view our most recent video, where we discuss the Lions‘ victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
