The AFC North has two games with some big divisional rivalries to open the year, but the matchup between the Ravens and Bengals may be the most interesting.
The Baltimore Ravens are looking for a big bounce back year as they head into the 2017 regular season, but they’ve gotten off to a rough start with injuries right off the bat before things could even get going in the new season.
Joe Flacco has become one of the lone bright spots on the Ravens’ offense, especially with the departure of Steve Smith from their lineup, and the Ravens already had some misfortune when their quarterback suffered an injury quickly in training camp. While it looks like he’ll be back and ready to go on Sunday afternoon, no one will really be able to tell if he’s at 100 percent or just trying to pull together a gutsy performance to start the season.
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals are also looking to return to the top of the AFC North, and they’ll get to open up the year at home against a big divisional rival to try and get some momentum going early. They have the potential to make a run in a relatively weak AFC this season, and we could see two playoff teams come out of the AFC North this season depending on how either of these two teams compete throughout the year.
Odds: Bengals -2.5, according to SportsBook Review
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It doesn’t look like a good formula for a Ravens win heading into the season opener, with a ton of questions surrounding their offense already, even without the Flacco injury. The Bengals still have Andy Dalton and A.J. Green to work with in their powerful lineup, along with the newest addition in Joe Mixon, and they should be able to pull out a close one to start the year on a high note.
Pick: Bengals 24, Ravens 21