If you paid close attention to the second half of last week's game, the rookie QB Anthony Brown really started to settle in, and helped the Ravens close the deficit in the game. My thought is that because both teams knew they'd rematch the following week, they held things closer to the vest than usual. Also, with the Ravens putting out the statement that both Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown will play in this game, leads me to believe there's a bevy of new wrinkles in store. And by the way, the Bengals offense will be the Bengals offense, I expect them to get at worst 24 points. But I also see the Ravens being able to get 20 or 22 points as well.

Where the Ravens hang their hats is within their ability to bully defense up front along the offensive line in the run game. Where the Ravens have their best chance to pull off the upset in this game...is within their ability to bully the Bengals up front in the run game. Expect to see a platoon QB system in this game with both rookie Anthony Brown and Tyler Huntley playing, and that to me just screams a lot of the run game to help shrink this game and help give the Ravens defense a chance to win it.

Imagine the Bengals had covered 21 of their last 24 games and then coming up with a reason why the Ravens would halt the run with a backup quarterback in 34-degree weather on the road in a playoff game. Baltimore QB Tyler Huntley will lead drives and take time off the clock, but Joe Burrow has been at his absolute best of late. I think we should just accept what we’re witnessing and keep following it. The Bengals are the real deal. Look out again, AFC. Take Cincinnati to cover.

The Bengals are coming off an 11-point win over the Ravens in Week 18, but Baltimore rested several key players in that game, including Tyler Huntley, J.K. Dobbins, Mark Andrews and Marcus Peters. The Ravens offense struggled with turnovers with Anthony Brown at QB but the defense did an excellent job after falling behind 17-0. A similar defensive effort should make this a lower-scoring game where Dobbins and Huntley can key the run game and keep it close throughout, and I like their chances with the Bengals down to backups on the right side of the offensive line.

The Ravens have played five games without Lamar Jackson at QB and still managed to run the ball effectively in those games, topping 180 rushing yards in three straight before racking up 120 rushing yards against a tough Steelers defense and even getting 110 rushing yards last week against Cincy while leaning on backups. Dobbins will be the featured runner here, and he's averaged nearly seven yards per carry since returning from injury while topping 90 rushing yards in three of those four games, helping to keep the Baltimore offense afloat without Jackson. Expect him to top 70 yards in this game as well even in a tough matchup.

Will this get to 10? I doubt it -- check out the news feed for how bettors are split ATS. With Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters back from injury, I think the Ravens can keep this relatively close with a ball control offense behind QB Tyler Huntley. Don't even get me started on Lamar Jackson. I'm no doctor but did stay at a Holiday Inn Express recently, and it sure seems like he would play if he wasn't a pending free agent. Hey, don't blame him. Don't risk major injury if the team wasn't willing to commit to you long term (at least at Jackson's demands). Since 2003, when division opponents meet in the NFL playoffs, the road team has gone 16-8-1 ATS. Also over that span, teams that covered 70% or more of their regular-season games like Cincinnati have gone 18-21-1 ATS in the playoffs. As favorites, those teams are 11-18 ATS. I actually think this is either a Bengals blowout or comes down to the last possession and no in between. Obviously I lean the latter.

Two of Joe Burrow's three worst games (in terms of passer rating) came against this elite Ravens defense. The other came in the season opener when Burrow was recovering from an appendectomy. The Bengals lost another outstanding offensive lineman last Sunday when Alex Cappa suffered an ankle injury. Although the Ravens rested Marcus Peters, J.K. Dobbins, Mark Andrews, Kevin Zeitler and other key performers in Week 18, they were surprisingly competitive in the 27-16 loss at Cincinnati. Tyler Huntley is practicing on a limited basis and would be an upgrade over Anthony Brown. Take the points as the Bengals win a 20-13 type of game.

Locked in this line prior to Lamar Jackson being ruled out with Snoop Huntley questionable to play, but the pick in this game would have been the Bengals either way. The spread at -7 was down 4.5 points from a week ago, a number Cincinnati failed to cover by 0.5. Regardless, the Bengals are on an eight-game winning streak (7-1 ATS), and they are on a 5-0 ATS home streak with that lone failed cover by 0.5. Cincinnati is doing what it did last season: peaking at the right time. The Ravens cannot score, and their stout defense will get worn out by Joe Burrow and his weapons in the second half. If getting in closer to kickoff, I'd still take this without a second thought at -8. It becomes a bit more murky at -8.5 and above, but if you want action, a half unit at that number isn't terrible value.