The NFL Week 10 kicks off tonight with a Thursday Night Football matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens are clear six-point favorites at BetMGM. Bettors are pretty split on this game, though, with just 52% of bets on Baltimore to cover -6 and 48% on the Bengals to cover +6, per BetMGM's data. However, the total money tells a way different story, indicating the Bengals may be the sharp bet tonight.
In terms of props, it's all about the tight ends as Mark Andrews and Mike Gesicki headline the yardage and anytime TD markets.
Below, I'll highlight where the betting action is for the Week 10 Thursday Night Football game and what we can learn from the handle:
Bengals vs Ravens Betting Handle
Bengals vs Ravens, Nov. 7th, 8:15 pm ET
Betting Handle per BetMGM
Let's start with the OVER, because that's actually my pick for this matchup as I broke down in my Bengals vs Ravens picks and preview. It's no surprise both the money and total bets are all over the OVER in this one, as the Ravens are 8-1 on the OVER this season and the Bengals are 6-3.
I get why bettors are split on the spread, though. The Ravens have won three in a row against the Bengals, but two of those games have been decided by fewer than six points. The Ravens are obviously the better team in this matchup, but have covered a -6 spread just once in the last seven meetings with Cincinnati.
That's probably why the handle % skews toward the Bengals in this one, as I'll break down below.
Why is Sharp Money On Bengals?
The Bengals may be 4-5 this season, but they've lost by more than six points just once this entire year, covering a +6 spread at a 7-1-1 record. It seems like sharps are all over that trend, as the handle on this spread is 14% higher for the Bengals than the total bets.
This trend indicates that while the general public and average bettors are split on this one, wagerers dropping the big cash love Cincinnati. Sharps don't always win, but they're professional (or at least high-spending) bettors for a reason, so it's not a terrible strategy to ride with them.
If you're not interested in a game picks for tonight's Bengals vs Ravens TNF contest, BetMGM has also provided us the most bet on Cinci and Baltimore player props, in terms of number of tickets:
Five Most Bet Ravens vs Bengals Player Props
- Mike Gesicki OVER 50.5 receiving yards (-115)
- Derrick Henry OVER 18.5 longest rush (-130)
- Lamar Jackson OVER passing yards (-130)
- Justin Tucker OVER 1.5 field goals (-115)
- Zay Flowers OVER 59.5 receiving yards (-125)
It's always scary to see that the rest of the public has handicapped a matchup the exact same way as you, but I'm in lock-step with the people on this Gesicki bet.
I got this Gesicki yardage OVER when it was down at O/U 46.5 yards, but as broke down in my Bengals vs Ravens preview, Gesicki has been dominant the last two weeks, going over 70 yards each time. He also faces a Ravens defense that's allowed the most yardage to opposing tight ends in all of football.
Five most Bet Bengals vs Ravens Players for Anytime TD
- Mark Andrews (+200)
- Ja’Marr Chase (-125)
- Derrick Henry (-300)
- Zay Flowers (+140)
- Lamar Jackson (+150)
Five Most Bet Bengals vs Ravens Players For First TD
- Derrick Henry (+325)
- Ja’Marr Chase (+700)
- Zay Flowers (+1000)
- Mark Andrews (+1100)
- Chase Brown (+700)
I get why the public is all over Mark Andrews to score a touchdown. Baltimore's backup TE, Isiah Likely, is out tonight and Andrews has four touchdowns in his last four games. Plus, the Bengals have allowed five tight end scores in nine games this year.
But, I actually think Charlie Kolar is the better Ravens tight end bet in this matchup. Even with both Likely and Andrews healthy, Kolar has still remained a solid part of Baltimore's attack. He's seen targets in five games this year, and actually scored a touchdown against the Bengals earlier this season. With Likely out, he's the much better value. Kolar is +420 to score a TD tonight, at BetMGM.
I do like the Zay Flowers touchdown bets here, too. He has seen 18 targets in the last two weeks and scored two times against Denver last week. The Bengals passing defense also allow pretty big days to opposing WR1s.