The spotlight is on the Cincinnati Bengals (4-4) as they open the doors at the Paycor Stadium for a Week 9 matchup on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers (2-6). One look at each team’s records and it’s easy to see why this match is viewed as a one-sided affair. The Cincinnati Bengals have posted a respectable 4-4 to take second place in the AFC North standings, while the Carolina Panthers are fourth in the NFC South with an overall record of 2-6 in this regular season. The Cincinnati Bengals are the big favorites to snatch the win on the moneyline. Considering how strongly the oddsmakers rate their chances against the Carolina Panthers, the home crowd will be anything but impressed if they somehow slip up at the Paycor Stadium.

Form Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals were left licking their wounds when the Cleveland Browns handed them a surprise 32-13 defeat in their last match. They now have a 4-4 record for the season and are 3-2 in the last five home games.

The Cincinnati Bengals have scored 23.3 points per game this season, which is pretty average compared to the other NFL offenses. On the other side of the ball, the defense has been relatively average in the league recently. The hosts have given up 21.8 points in the previous five outings, which is more or less on par with the 20.5 points they’ve allowed per game over the course of the regular season.

For the Cincinnati Bengals, lifting the famous Vince Lombardi Trophy is the ultimate target. A spot in the playoffs come to the end of the regular season should be the bare minimum expected of them. After all, this is a team that finished first in the AFC North, won the AFC Championship, and came within a whisker of Super Bowl glory in the previous football season.

Form Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are in bad shape with a run of four losses in five games lately. Their most recent game handed them a 37-34 loss against the Atlanta Falcons.

Things haven’t improved on the offense front for the Carolina Panthers at all, having put just 19.2 points on board across the last five matches. In all, the offense has averaged 19.8 points for the season. A below-average defense isn’t what any traveling team wants to hear, but that’s how it is for the Carolina Panthers. The visitors have allowed a nerve-wracking 23.3 points per game this year.

Unsurprisingly, the Carolina Panthers are unlikely to make the NFL postseason as things stand. Few people expected the home side to go far, and given their 2-6 regular season record, it seems they had good reason.

H2H

The total reached 42.5 points in the most recent encounter between these teams in September 2018. The matchup ended in a 31-21 road victory for the Carolina Panthers back then. In the last five meetings, however, the Cincinnati Bengals claimed three wins against the Carolina Panthers, leaving the home side with an overall 3-1 record.

The Cincinnati Bengals managed an average of 23.8 a game in their five most recent outings against the Carolina Panthers, who scored an average of 20.4 points.

Standings

Neither of these two teams will make the NFL postseason as things currently stand. The Cincinnati Bengals may be second in the AFC North standings, but the hosts need to improve their 4-4 regular season record to reach the AFC playoffs. The Carolina Panthers, meanwhile, are dead last in the NFC South at 2-6.

Betting

Moneyline

Take the Cincinnati Bengals (1.28) for the outright win on the moneyline. The oddsmakers rate their chances of success on Sunday at 78%, and given their decent run of form at home, it’s easy to see why. The 4-4 hosts have won three of their last five matches at the Paycor Stadium, leaving their home record for the season at 2-1 SU. On the other side, the Carolina Panthers are the clear 3.75 underdogs. Considering they’ve lost three of their last four road trips to AFC North teams, this might not be a surprise.

Spread

The Cincinnati Bengals (1.28) are -7.0 point favorites over the Carolina Panthers in the Week 9 betting lines. This leaves the hosts favored to take the win by more than a touchdown on Sunday. A one-score game anyhow seems to be where the smart money lies, as the last five rounds between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers produced an average winning margin of 7.4 points.

The Cincinnati Bengals have covered the spread in five of their last six games. In their past 10 outings, the Cincinnati Bengals have gone 6-4 ATS overall and 7-3 ATS at home.

On the other side of the field, the Carolina Panthers have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine games on the road. The visitors are 2-8 ATS from their 10 most recent road trips, as well as 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games overall.

Total

The last five games between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers failed to pass the 45 point mark, averaging 44.2 points instead.

Going for the Over (1.28) might be worth a shot, with the total currently set at 42.5 points, as the total average points from the previous five meetings between the Cincinnati Bengals and Carolina Panthers was 44.2 points.

Looking back on the last five games on home soil for the Cincinnati Bengals, the total went over two times. They are 3-6 against the total overall from their previous 10 matches.

Interestedly, the total has gone under in six of the Carolina Panthers’ past nine matchups against teams from the AFC North and in five of the away team’s last seven outings overall.