Desperation is beginning to sink in for at least one of these Week 3 Monday Night Football combatants, as the winless Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) host the Washington Commanders (1-1) in a game they can’t afford to let slip away if they have any hope of competing for a playoff spot in the tough AFC North Division. Kickoff is set for 8:15 PM EST on September 23rd at Paycor Stadium.
Despite a much better effort on both sides of the ball in Week 2, Cincinnati couldn’t find a way to close out the defending Super Bowl Champions on the road last weekend. It was a much different story for Washington in Week 2, as they pulled off a thrilling fourth quarter comeback in their home opener against the Giants to win their first game of the year.
There is no room for error on the Bengals side in this matchup, as Pittsburgh has already won two straight games to start the year and currently enjoys a commanding lead atop the AFC North. Meawhile, the Commanders will look to build on the momentum generated by their Week 2 victory as quarterback Jayden Daniels continues to develop in his rookie season.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Bengals listed as 7.5-point home favorites. The spread hasn’t moved at all after early betting, as Cincinnati is currently still available at -7.5 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 47 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be nationally televised on ABC. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Washington Commanders Triumph Over NFC East Rival
Give the Commanders full credit for not throwing in the towel at home against New York last weekend, as Washington appeared to be headed for a second straight loss to start the year before mounting a miraculous comeback in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter. Jayden Daniels completed 23 out of 29 total passing attempts for 226 yards through the air while Brian Robinson Jr. bulldozed the Giants defense on the ground with 133 yards on a team-high 17 carries. Veteran TE Zach Ertz led the way for the passing attack, accumulating 62 receiving yards on four catches.
On the other side of the ball, Washington’s secondary continued to be exposed as rookie Malik Nabers torched the Commanders for 127 passing yards and a touchdown on a game-high ten receptions. They also struggled to slow down the Giants on the ground, as Devin Singletary rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
Cincinnati Bengals Lose Second Consecutive Heartbreaker
The Bengals definitely deserved a better fate in Week 2, as they were on the verge of pulling off a big upset on the road in Kansas City after a horrible outing to open the season against New England made them the laughingstock of the NFL’s opening weekend. Joe Burrow was vastly improved after his horrendous start against the Pats, throwing for 258 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Newly acquired TE Mike Gesicki was surprisingly Cincinnati’s leading pass-catcher, as the former Dolphin hauled in seven receptions for 91 yards.
There were also a ton of positives for the Bengals on defense in Week 2, as they managed to hold Patrick Mahomes to just 151 passing yards while also picking him off twice. Cincinnati also did a great job against star TE Travis Kelce, limiting one of Mahomes’ favorite targets to just one catch for five yards.
Our Commanders vs Bengals NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
While I would love to roll the dice and take a shot with the Bengals at home in this particular matchup, laying over a full touchdown seems pretty steep. Cincinnati is currently averaging well under 20 points per game, and while they should have plenty of success against a below average defense, I’d rather take a wait and see approach after their struggles to start the season offensively.
Jayden Daniels failed to find the end zone in Week 2, which has to be at least a bit concerning for Commanders fans considering they had a great matchup with a suspect New York Giants defense. I don’t love this spot on the road here in Week 3 either, as the Bengals defense really did a great job against Mahomes last weekend and should have a ton of confidence.
Game Total Betting Market Tip: UNDER 47
With a slightly inflated spread seeming like a pretty wise bet to stay away from, I think the optimal play on Monday evening is the Under on 47 total points scored. Even if the Bengals suddenly explode for 3-4 touchdowns, I don’t think Washington will manage to put up that many points on the road after struggling at home against a much weaker opponent in Week 2.
Cincinnati has also really struggled establishing the run after losing workhorse Joe Mixon to Houston during the offseason, so the Commanders should be able to give extra attention to Ja’Marr Chase and the rest of the Bengals pass-catchers. Likewise, Washington also appears to be a bit of a one-dimensional offense right now after finding limited success through the air through their first two games. Look for this matchup to be lower scoring than expected in a game Cincinnati should win outright with relative ease – give me the Under on 47 total points.
