Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Odds, Analysis, NFL Betting Pick

The Cincinnati Bengals will attempt to continue their mastery of the Baltimore Ravens when they play host to their AFC North rivals Sunday as small home favorites at the sportsbooks. The Bengals have won six of the past seven NFL meetings with the Ravens straight up, going 5-2 against the spread during that stretch.

NFL point spread: The Bengals opened as 1.5-point favorites; the total was 43.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 23.8-14.4 Bengals (NFL picks on every game)

Why the Ravens can cover the spread

Baltimore will likely have starting quarterback Joe Flacco under center for the regular-season opener after recovering from a back injury. Bettors have seen how much the Indianapolis Colts miss Andrew Luck, and the same can be said for Flacco, who has sat out training camp and the entire preseason.

While he has not performed well at Paul Brown Stadium in the past, just having him on the field at Cincinnati should give his teammates some confidence that they have a lot better chance to win with him.

Why the Bengals can cover the spread

Look at the numbers Flacco has put up as a visitor in this series, and it's easy to make a case for backing the Bengals in this divisional matchup. He has only two wins in eight attempts at Cincy, throwing five touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Defensively, the Bengals will miss suspended linebacker Vontaze Burfict. But maybe playing without him will get others to step up, and head coach Marvin Lewis has proved himself time and time again in reloading with talented young players on defense.

Offensively, they also have more talent than the Ravens, with wide receiver A.J. Green ready to rebound.

Smart pick

This is an intriguing game to pick considering the fact that Flacco should be rusty. Why isn't the betting line higher? Cincy has won the previous five home meetings and gone 4-1 ATS in those games. The Bengals have also opened the season strong lately, going 8-2 SU and 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 September games.

With Baltimore riding a six-game road losing streak, Cincinnati looks like the only play here. Take the Bengals to get the job done with a win and cover on the Vegas odds.

NFL betting trends

The Ravens are 1-6 SU and 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against the Bengals.

The Bengals are 8-2 SU and 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games in September.

The total has gone under in four of the Ravens' last five games against their division.

All NFL odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.