Bengals vs. Commanders Prediction Tonight: NFL Preseason Week 2 Expert Picks & Odds

We outline a couple of our favorite NFL picks as the Bengals and Commanders close out Week 2 of the preseason on Monday Night Football.

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: August 18, 2025 7:01 PM EDT • 5 minute read

Bengals vs. Commanders Prediction Tonight: Expert Picks & Odds for NFL Preseason Week 2 — Pictured: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrates his touchdown as I make my Bengals vs. Commanders prediction. Photo by Eric Hartline via Imagn Images.

Cincinnati and Washington close out the second week of preseason, and my Bengals vs. Commanders prediction finds value in backing the visitors early.

Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN) from Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. The best sports betting sites list the Bengals as 3-point betting favorites, with a total set at O/U 43.5 points.

My Bengals vs. Commanders best bets, part of our NFL preseason Week 2 predictions, believe bettors should look to take advantage of Cincinnati giving its starters a runout early against Washington.

🏈 Bengals vs. Commanders predictions & expert picks

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✅ Bengals vs. Commanders prediction: Bengals first quarter ML (+124 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅ My best bet: Over 7.5 points first quarter (-115 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🔮 Bengals vs. Commanders prediction

🐅 Bengals first quarter ML ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📊 Best odds: +124 via Caesars ($10 to win $8.70)
🔢 Implied probability: 44.64%

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Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Burrow and the rest of the starters will start and play for the entire first quarter.

Burrow roasted the Philadelphia Eagles' defense in the opening quarter of last week's game, feasting on the defending Super Bowl champions' backups.

He went 9-for-10 for 123 yards with two touchdowns in two series against Philly.

While Commanders head coach Dan Quinn also confirmed his star quarterback will play, Daniels is only expected to be featured for one or two series. That should leave Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Co. more than enough time to end the opening 15 minutes with the lead.

For what it's worth, the Bengals' first-string defense is also expected to get 15 minutes of action.

While nobody is raving about the hapless Cincinnati defense, its first unit should be able to slow Daniels at least somewhat. When the Commanders' Offensive Rookie of the Year exits, either Josh Johnson or Sam Hartman will replace him, as Marcus Mariota won't feature.

Caesars offers +124 odds for the Bengals to lead after the opening 15 minutes. That's easily the top price at our best sports betting apps, with bet365 providing odds of -115.

📖 Check out our 2025 NFL preseason betting guide for the best betting strategies and full NFL preseason schedule.

💰 Bengals vs. Commanders best bet

⬆️ Over 7.5 points first quarter ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📊 Best odds: -115 via bet365 ($10 to win $8.70)
🔢 Implied probability: 53.49%

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With Burrow, Chase, Daniels, Chase Brown, and others all featuring in the first quarter, what's not to like about this first-quarter total?

Of course, the Bengals' first-string defense is without Trey Hendrickson, which is ominous news considering the unit registered the 27th-ranked defensive DVOA last season with their star pass-rusher.

That bodes well for the first-quarter Over though, as Daniels should put a few points on the board against the Hendrickson-less starters before his cameo concludes. And I fully expect Burrow and Co. to find pay dirt in the first 15 minutes.

bet365 offers the best value of our best sportsbooks.

📊 Bengals vs. Commanders odds

Live updated odds from our best live betting sites. Follow the latest NFL scores for line history and matchup info.

🪧 Bengals vs. Commanders opening odds:

Bengals: -2.5 (-110)
Commanders: +2.5 (-110)

🧐 Bengals vs. Commanders betting insights

The latest Bengals vs. Commanders betting insights are from BetMGM as of Monday night.

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Bengals	57% (-3, -115)	61% (-175)	70% (Over 43, -110)
Commanders	43% (+3, +105)	39% (+45)	30% (Under 43, -110)

🚑 Bengals vs. Commanders injuries

🔢 Bengals vs. Commanders updated betting insights

Here are some betting insights from BetMGM in the hours before kickoff:

The Bengals opened as 2.5-point betting favorites, and that line has since moved to 3.5 points at our best sportsbooks
Cincinnati is getting 53% of the bets, while the Commanders are generating 62% of the handle
The total opened at 39.5 and it's since climbed significantly to around 43
The Over is generating 64% of the bets and 60% of the handle
The Bengals also opened as the -160 moneyline favorite, and that's since shifted to -200
They're drawing 62% of the handle, through the underdog Commanders are getting 62% of the bets at +165

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Written by:
Gary Pearson

Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.