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Now that the Bengals have secured the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they can win a game without fear of losing said pick.
Their final game of 2019 will come at home vs. the Browns in Round 2 of the Battle of Ohio. While the Browns may still arguably have a better roster, they’ve shown little fight over the last month, whereas the Bengals are still giving it their all to end 2019 on a high note.
Even so, oddsmakers still view the Browns as the favorites for this rivalry game. The early odds from Bovada have Cleveland favored by three in Cincinnati.
NFL Week 17 opening lines (Bovada):
— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) December 22, 2019
GB @ DET +10
MIA @ NE -16.5
NYJ @ BUF N/A
PHI @ NYG +4
PIT @ BAL N/A
WAS @ DAL N/A
CHI @ MIN -7
NO @ CAR +11
LAC @ KC -7.5
IND @ JAX +1
ATL @ TB -2.5
CLE @ CIN +3
TEN @ HOU -1
OAK @ DEN -4.5
ARI @ LAR -7
SF @ SEA PK
It’s hard to ever bet on the Bengals these days, but it’s hard to see Cleveland showing as much fight as the home team will this week. Will that be enough for the Bengals to pull off the slight upset and win their first divisional game under Zac Taylor?