Our Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals prediction takes a look at the Week 13 matchup that features a rematch of the 2021 AFC Conference Championship game. Let’s dive deeper into the current NFL odds, key storylines to watch, and make a prediction for the game. Note that all odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Tuesday, Nov. 29.
Chiefs vs. Bengals Odds
- Spread
Chiefs -2 - Moneyline
Chiefs -130, Bengals +110 - Over/Under
52.5 points
Chiefs vs. Bengals Prediction
The Chiefs enter this game still one of the best teams the NFL has to offer, with a spectacular 9-2 record. They sit firmly atop the AFC West Standings and seemed destined to make a deep playoff run. They’ll face one of their toughest tests of the year this week, going up against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs just one season ago.
Despite all the questions surrounding what this offense would look like without Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs continue to dominate this season and currently lead the league in total yards per game with an absurd average of 430.
They also sit atop the league with an average of 29.6 points per game, which is over double the worst offense in the league in Denver at just 14.3. They’ll face a tough test this week, though, going up against a Bengals defense that’s allowing just 21 points per game and just 328.3 yards on average.
The key for Kansas City to walk away with this victory actually rests on the defensive side of the football. We know what the offense can do, but their defense is going to have to be sound in a matchup against Joe Burrow and his dynamic receiving weapons.
The Chiefs are allowing the 7th most passing yards per game this season, and they’re going to need to be much more sound in their coverage against some very talented receivers if they want to have a chance to win this game.
How the Bengals Can Win
As for the Bengals, they were without their star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for the past four games and still were able to go 3-1 over that time frame. They’ve now won five out of their last six games and are firmly in the race for the AFC North division title with the Baltimore Ravens, which makes this a key game for deciding the playoff picture.
Cincinnati will be getting reinforcements this week, with Joe Mixon expected to return and Chase coming back into the lineup. The presence of those two playmakers in the lineup cannot be properly measured, and the Bengals are going to need them to step up to keep in this game that figures to see points going up on the board with regularity.
The key for Cincinnati to win this matchup though comes back to the offensive line. The Chiefs are averaging 3.2 sacks per game, which is the 5th most in the league through Week 12.
If Burrow can be given time to allow Tee Higgins and Chase to get open downfield and convert big plays against a pass defense that ranks toward the bottom of the league, Cincinnati should walk away with a victory.
However, if the Chiefs can get to Burrow and disrupt those big plays before they’re allowed to develop, we could see a poor outing here from the high-powered Bengals offense.
Chiefs vs. Bengals Prediction
Chiefs 28, Bengals 27