1/15/22 Best Bet: Cincinnati Bengals -5.5 (-115)

The Bengals rested all of their main starters last week, in anticipation to have everyone healthy for this game. Joe Burrow is NOT Andy Dalton, so all the talk about Cincy’s ineptitude in the playoffs doesn’t really apply here. This is a different team. Joe Mixon will absolutely be able to get it going against this Raiders defense. Or at least Zac Taylor will make Mixon a priority to keep the pass rush of the Raiders honest. As great of a story as the Raiders are and them getting points in a playoff game is, I can’t get there. I think the Bengals lead this game early and do enough for them to put the Raiders away in the fourth quarter. Tough for me to back a Raiders team on short rest and playing in the bitter cold (note: Carr is AWFUL in the cold). I just have a hard time picturing the Raiders going into Cincy and winning this game, thus I have to believe they can’t cover.