Panthers vs. Bengals Picks, Predictions Week 9: Expect Competitive Catfight in Cincy
Will the Cincinnati Bengals bounce back from their ugly loss on Monday night? Find out when they host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. Read on for our best Panthers-Bengals Week 9 picks and predictions.
It’s been an up and down season so far for the defending AFC champion Bengals, who enter Week 9 with a 4-4 record and are licking their wounds from a 19-point loss last week to the Cleveland Browns. They’ll be without star receiver Ja’Marr Chase and several other starters when they host the 2-6 Panthers.
We break down the matchup with our Panthers-Bengals picks and predictions (odds via BetMGM and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-5 star scale).
Check out our NFL best bets and all of our top picks for Week 9!
Panthers vs. Bengals Game Info
- Date: Sunday, Nov. 6, 1 p.m. ET
- TV: FOX
- Location: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
- Weather: 64 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 9-mph winds
Panthers vs. Bengals Odds
Panthers vs. Bengals Odds Analysis
After opening at Cincinnati -9.5, the line has steadily moved toward Carolina throughout the week. Currently, 77% of the cash and 80% of the tickets are on the Bengals.
Make sure to line shop before betting on this one, since many sportsbooks are offering different lines. For example, PointsBet made the spread 7 with -107 juice on both sides, DraftKings listed the Bengals as 7.5-point favorites at even money, and BetMGM offered the Panthers +7.5 at -115.
Meanwhile, there's two-way action on a total of 44.5. The Under is getting 75% of the cash, while the Over is drawing 76% of the tickets.
Panthers vs. Bengals Picks
- Spread: Panthers +7.5 (-115 via MGM) ★★★★
- Over/Under: Under 42.5 (-107 via PointsBetl) ★★
- Prop: Joe Mixon Over 21.5 receiving yards (-120 via BetMGM) ★★★★
Panthers vs. Bengals Spread Pick
Panthers +7.5 (-115) ★★★★
Carolina showed a lot of fight in its three games under interim coach Steve Wilks, going 2-1 ATS and routing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-3 two weeks ago. The Panthers would have even moved into a four-way tie for first in the NFC South if not for a couple of placekicker Eddie Pinto's missed kicks in last week’s 37-34 OT loss to Atlanta.
But this pick is more of a fade of the Bengals, who shouldn’t be laying more than a touchdown with so many key players out. Chase, who misses his second straight game with a hip injury, is the biggest abscence, but the Bengals also lost a couple of defensive starters and are down several corners in their secondary.
That lack of depth was glaring in Cincy’s ugly 32-13 loss to Cleveland Monday night, when the Bengals trailed 25-0 at the half and didn’t get on the board until the fourth quarter. On a short week, expect it to be an issue again.
Panthers vs. Bengals O/U Pick
Under 42.5 (-110) ★★
Cincinnati’s offense clearly isn’t the same without Chase, team leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches. A week after shredding the Falcons' secondary for 481 passing yards, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for just 232 in the loss to the Browns, with only two completions of more than 21 yards. Running back Joe Mixon led the Bengals with seven catches, averaging less than five yards per reception.
Carolina QB P.J. Walker enjoyed his best season outing last week for the Panthers, throwing for 317 yards. But that performance came against an awful Atlanta pass defense, and 62 of those were on a last-minute desperation bomb to wideout D.J. Moore. Walker is still a third-string QB, averaging less than 120 passing yards in his first two starts, and the Panthers will be happy to keep things conservative running the ball and throwing short passes.
Panthers vs. Bengals Prop Pick
Mixon Over 21.5 receiving yards (-120) ★★★★
Mixon cleared this low number in each of his last three games and went over his receiving yards prop total in seven of his last nine at home. He was also Burrow’s favorite target last week with Chase unavailable.
Expect Burrow to look Mixon’s way early and often again this week, especially on checkdowns after Cincy’s quarterback was sacked five times last week against Cleveland.
Where to Bet on Panthers vs. Bengals Picks
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Panthers-Bengals picks made 11/04/2022 at 10:05 a.m. ET