The 3 reasons why the Cincinnati Bengals will win their Wild Card game against the Ravens on Sunday and book a place in the Divisional Round.
After an emotional meeting with Buffalo on January 2nd, Sunday saw Cincinnati grind out a 27-16 victory against Baltimore. This resulted in the Cincinnati Bengals being crowned AFC North champions.
The stage is now set. Cincinnati have made it to the Wild Card Round. This season’s hard work has secured a home playoff game against their most recent opponents. Yes, it’s another matchup with the Ravens.

Cincy fans will have one thing on their minds. Just how far can their team go this year? Can they go that one step further than last season and actually win the Super Bowl?
However, the first step is to get the better of Baltimore once more. Here are the 3 reasons why Cincinnati can do it on Sunday.
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Trey Hendrickson is Getting Back to his Best
Hendrickson only played 18 snaps in Sunday’s game against the Ravens. However, in that short time he managed two sacks and a forced fumble. Remember, this is all happening with a wrist injury.
The defensive end broke his wrist in Week 14 against Cleveland. Fun fact – at 28, he had never broken a bone until that Week 14 incident.

If Hendrickson can play like he did against Baltimore with a broken wrist, who knows how strong his postseason could be. Expect him to help drive Cincinnati to a win in the Wild Card Round.
Burrow Didn’t Even Have His Best Game
Let’s just say Joe Burrow had an off-day against Baltimore. He’s normally the one to rely on in the Cincy camp, but others (including Trey Hendrickson) definitely shone more than him in Week 18.
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Regardless, an uncharacteristically average Joe Burrow performance still resulted in a TD throw to Ja’Marr Chase. A better day could’ve meant more success for Burrow, but we all know what this man has in his locker.
Many are putting Burrow’s recent performance down to distractions in the previous week. Let’s hope he’s back to his best for the Wild Card game!
Recent Success and Confidence Can Be A Decider
Between the Ravens and the Bengals, who made it to last year’s Super Bowl? The Bengals.
And, one more time. Who won the most recent matchup between Cincinnati and Baltimore? Yes, Cincinnati.

It’s not a certainty that confidence and recent success will translate to a victory for Cincinnati in the Wild Card Round. However, we’ve seen plenty of times that it can be a deciding factor.
Let’s be honest, the Ravens are a very good franchise filled with talented players. You cannot write them off. Maybe the buzz and belief around the Cincinnati camp will result in another successful day in Bengals history.
Current Bengals Wild Card Odds
Current Wild Card Round odds for Bengals vs. Ravens (at FanDuel Sportsbook):
Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
Cincinnati Bengals | -6.5 (-114) | -290 | Under 43.5 (-110) |
Baltimore Ravens | +6.5 (-106) | +235 | Over 43.5 (-110) |