by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023
Game Time: 8:15 pm ET, Monday, September 25, 2023
Venue: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Rams +3, Bengals -3; Over/Under: 43.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Rams +3, Bengals -3; Over/Under: 44 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Rams +3, Bengals -3; Over/Under: 44 points
Season Record
Los Angeles Rams: 1-1 (2nd place, NFC West)
Cincinnati Bengals: 0-2 (4th place, AFC North)
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Los Angeles Rams: lost their last game at home against the San Francisco 49ers 30-23.
Cincinnati Bengals: lost their last game at home against the Baltimore Ravens 27-24.
Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals Preview and Analysis
The Rams are entering this game with a 1-1 record overall and they have a 1-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 0-1 in their home games, 1-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against the San Francisco 49ers 30-23. Matthew Stafford was the starting QB and he completed 34/55 passes for 307 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Kyren Williams led the team in rushing yards with 52 and 1 TD. Puka Nacua led the receivers with 147 receiving yards on 15 receptions. Ernest Jones IV led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 5 assisted tackles while Byron Young led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception in that game.
The Bengals are entering this game with a 0-2 record overall and they have a 0-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 0-1 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against the Baltimore Ravens 27-24. Joe Burrow was the starting QB and he completed 27/41 passes for 222 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Joe Mixon led the team in rushing yards with 59. Tee Higgins led the receivers with 89 receiving yards on 8 receptions and 2 TDs. Daxton Hill led the defense in that game with 9 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while no one on the defense recorded any sacks in that one. No one on the defense came away with an interception in that game.
Rams vs Bengals Prediction
The current betting odds have the Bengals listed as a 3 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Bengals have been terrible this season with their 0-2 start and Burrow hasn't been able to do anything with this offense. The Bengals are also 0-2 in the division after those 2 losses and they desperately need a bounce back win at home here. The Rams pulled off a big upset win on the road against the Seahawks in week 1 but ended up losing at home in their last game to the 49ers. The Rams have definitely been overachieving in these first 2 games though and now they have a ton of injuries to their players on offense who have been keeping them afloat in these games. The Rams already have a win under their belt while the Bengals don't and the Bengals are going to be desperate to turn their season around with a win at home in this prime time game. The best way to place a bet here is on the Bengals to cover the spread in this game.
Rams Bengals Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Monday, September 25, 2023 (8:15 pm ET start time) is Bengals 27 Rams 20.
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NFL Betting Trends
Los Angeles Rams: 3-8 ATS in non-conference games. 48-70 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of -2 or worse. 12-4 UNDER off 1 or more straight overs. 9-2 UNDER after a playing a game where 50 total points or more were scored.
Cincinnati Bengals: 28-15 ATS in all games. 19-9 ATS in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points. 26-16 UNDER in all games. 12-3 UNDER after gaining 99 or less rushing yards in 2 straight games. 10-5 UNDER when playing on Monday night.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Rams: J. Taylor II (DB) Out indefinitely - Groin. S. Bennett (QB) Out indefinitely - Illness. H. Long (TE) Out indefinitely - Thigh. C. Kupp (WR) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. O. Mathis (LB) Out indefinitely - Knee.
Cincinnati Bengals: J. Ossai (DE) Ques Mon - Ankle. C. Evans (HB) Ques Mon - Hamstring. N. Scott (S) Ques Mon - Concussion. J. Burrow (QB) Ques Mon - Calf. D. Cochran (OT) I-R - Knee. D. Maxwell (DT) I-R - Knee.
Notable Quotes
“I don’t want to say missed out, but I think there’s learning opportunities. Ultimately, we didn’t come away with the result that we were hunting up, but there was a lot of good things that we can take away. ... I thought it was a high-caliber football game.” - Sean McVay after his team’s loss against the 49ers in their last game.
“So that’s the way it goes when you play these guys. I just told our team, this is one of those games you store away and you learn from so that you win more games down the road because of what we went through here.” - Zac Taylor after his team’s loss against the Ravens in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Rams
WR Atwell, Tutu
WR Nacua, Puka
WR Jefferson, Van
TE HIGBEE, TYLER
QB STAFFORD, MATTHEW
RB Williams, Kyren
Cincinnati Bengals
WR Chase, Ja'Marr
WR Higgins, Tee
WR Boyd, Tyler
TE Smith Jr., Irv
QB Burrow, Joe
RB Mixon, Joe
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Rams
Passing: M. Stafford (641)
Rushing: K. Williams (104)
Receiving: P. Nacua (266)
Touchdowns: K. Williams (4)
Cincinnati Bengals
Passing: J. Burrow (304)
Rushing: J. Mixon (115)
Receiving: T. Higgins (89)
Touchdowns: T. Higgins (2)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay (7th season)
Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor (5th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
