QB Joe Burrow is currently listed as questionable for the Cincinnati Bengals‘ Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
When the betting odds for Rams vs. Bengals first opened after Week 2, Cincinnati was a 6.5-point favorite. As it became clear that the Bengals could be without Burrow, the line quickly began to drop, falling as low as Bengals -2. As of 12:00 pm EST, the line is back up to Bengals -3.
Burrow’s injury obviously has played the biggest factor in the point spread dropping so many points, but the Rams have been better than expected so far this season. It starts with rookie WR Puka Nacua, who has filled in for an injured WR Cooper Kupp wonderfully.
After Week 2, the fifth-round draft pick was leading the NFL in receptions. Yes, not just rookies — all players. Nacua is also questionable for tonight, but he is expected to play.
If the Bengals signal-caller is inactive tonight, Jake Browning will get the start at quarterback for the Bengals. This is his third season with the Bengals, but he has yet to attempt a pass in his NFL career since going undrafted in 2019.
If Browning has to start in place of Burrow tonight, can he help the Bengals avoid going 0-3 in his first career start? Let’s check out the Rams vs. Bengals predictions, picks against the spread, player prop bets, and more from the PFN betting team.
Our Betting Lines page has the freshest lines and promos to get BANG for your buck. PFN’s FREE Parlay Calculator and Betting Odds Calculator are also available for your betting process! New to sports betting? Check out our guide on How to Bet on the NFL. Visit our Sports Betting Legal Tracker on how to bet legally in the U.S.
Rams vs. Bengals Betting Lines, Start Time, and More
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook unless stated otherwise.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals Prediction
- Spread
Bengals -3 - Moneyline
Rams +130, Bengals -155 - Total
44.5 - Game Time
8:15 p.m. EST - Location
Paycor Stadium - How To Watch
ESPN, ESPN2
Soppe: WR Tutu Atwell has 17 targets so far to go along with a 14.4-yard aDOT (Nacua: 7.8 yards). That gives him the quantity/quality target profile that we love.
MORE: Live Betting Odds and Newest Promos
The Bengals have allowed a 30-yard catch to the secondary option in the opponent’s pass game in both games this season (Cleveland WR Elijah Moore in Week 1 and Baltimore WR Zay Flowers in Week 2), a fact that only solidifies my confidence in Atwell if Nacua suits up.
Pick: Tutu Atwell over 54.5 receiving yards (-114 at FanDuel)
Katz: Through two weeks, Puka Nacua leads the NFL with nearly a 40% target share. Despite catching 25 passes for 266 yards, he’s yet to find the end zone. That’s because 80% of the Rams touchdowns have come via the ground. Simply put, that won’t continue. The run/pass TD ratio will regress to the mean.
Based on his yardage total, Nacua should have about two touchdowns this season. How about one on Monday night?
Pick: Puka Nacua anytime touchdown (+195 at DraftKings)
Longshot Pick: Puka Nacua first touchdown (+1100 at DraftKings)
Blewis: I got the Rams at +6.5, as that line seemed too high to me, even if Burrow was playing. Now, it has obviously come way down and is not available. That also wasn’t very helpful at all, so here’s a suggestion that you can actually still bet on.
This week, the Rams traded away Cam Akers, who had fallen out of favor with HC Sean McVay and was nearly traded last year. In our first look at this Rams’ rushing offense without Akers, it was the Kyren Williams show, who was the only running back to get a carry last week.
MORE: NFL Week 4 Betting Lines
If Burrow is officially out tonight, that improves the Rams’ chances of winning this game immensely. With a greater chance of a positive game script, Williams’ rushing props look awfully tempting after seeing how much usage he got last week — especially against a Bengals defense that was 31st in rushing yards allowed per game entering Week 3.
His rushing yards prop is 61.5 at FanDuel, but you can bet the over at 56.5 with DraftKings. This is why you sign up with multiple sportsbooks — so you can line shop.
Pick: Kyren Williams over 56.5 rushing yards (-115 at DraftKings)