Week 17 Monday Night Football: Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals Betting & DFS Preview
Last week we saw the Los Angeles Chargers predictably beat up on the Indianapolis Colts who turned to yet another starting quarterback with the same success they’ve had all season. We are now on to the final Monday Night Football game of the season and the NFL may have just saved the best for last. This week the Buffalo Bills (12-3) go on the road to take on the Cincinnati Bengals (11-4) in a game with massive playoff implications. This game could have a massive impact on who gets the first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. It’s hard not for football fans to be excited about this final prime-time game.
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Week 17 Monday Night Football Best Bets
First, let’s start with how each of these teams can land the AFC’s top seed. If the Bengals lose this game, they are out of the running. However, even if the Bengals do win, they will need to win next week against the Baltimore Ravens and for the Kansas City Chiefs to lose to the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. The Bills control their own destiny. Even with a loss tonight they could still get back into the mix for the top seed if the Chiefs and Bengals both lose next week. If they win out, they are in or if they win this week and the Chiefs lose then next week’s game against the Patriots won’t matter to Buffalo.
Now let’s jump into the matchup. We have two outstanding offenses and very good defenses in this one. The Bills boast the league’s second-ranked offense in yards and fourth in points while the Bengals have the seventh-ranked offense in yards and sixth in points. Both offenses are led by their start quarterbacks and dynamic wideouts. While Josh Allen gives the Bills an extra dimension with his ability on the ground, Joe Burrow has more high-end weapons at his disposal with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Joe Mixon.
The Bills’ defense is more highly ranked on the season, but the Bengals’ defense has been more consistent in the second half of the season. Buffalo’s defense ranks fifth in yards and second in points. Cincy ranks seventh in both yards and points. Nevertheless, the Bengals also have a better pass rush and are better in the turnover battle. They have a +3 turnover ratio and the Bills have broken even. All the units in this game are solid. That’s why these teams are battling for the top seed.
This is an interesting line on this game because the Bengals are underdogs on the road. They are getting 1.5 points and the moneyline is +100. This is a toss-up game so it’s hard to pass on a home dog. Whether you’re taking the points of betting the moneyline.
The Pick: Cincinnati Bengals +1.5 (-110)
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DFS Showdown: Most Intriguing Plays
We will be giving you insight into the most intriguing players this week on MNF. You generally won’t see superstars in this section. All prices are based on Draft Kings.
Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals $7,500
If you are going to successfully attack the Bills, you have to do it through the air with your wide receivers. If you are looking for a discounted but still strong option at wideout then Boyd is your guy. He is significantly cheaper than both Chase and Higgins but is more than capable of a blowup game. He has had a knack for finding the end zone throughout his career and has had multiple 100-yard games this season. He is clearly not at the level of his fellow Cincy wideouts but can outproduce one of them any given week. We’ve seen it plenty of times over the past few seasons.
James Cook, Buffalo Bills $8,400
Why pay up for Devin Singletary when you can get Cook for more than $2,000 cheaper? Granted, Singletary does generally get more volume but in a tournament-style DFS Showdown, the smart money is on Cook. He’s more dynamic and a more natural pass-catcher. Singletary doesn’t possess his big-play ability. Just last week Singletary only out-touched Cook 12 to 14, so that volume gap is closing as well. Cook is the Bills’ running back to own here.
Trenton Irwin, Cincinnati Bengals $6,600
Irwin is a deeper play, but I like him more than the deep Bills wideouts. We’ve seen Burrow target him often in the red zone and on big plays as of late as he’s scored three TDs in his last three games. In two of the past three games, he has reached at least 45 yards and has receptions of 23 and 45 yards. He is being more integrated into this offense and looks like he could be the WR3 of the future in Cincy.
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