Bengals face Ravens as Lamar Jackson ruled out
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow faces the Baltimore Ravens on October 25, 2026, at M&T Bank Stadium as 1.5-point road favorites, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET on CBS, according to Covers.com, while the NY Post reported that Lamar Jackson has been ruled out for the AFC North clash due to an ankle injury.
Quarterback Shifts and the Spread in Baltimore
The spread for the divisional matchup narrowed as news broke regarding the Baltimore quarterback room. Lamar Jackson was limited at practice during the week with an ankle injury before being officially ruled out midday Saturday, marking his third straight missed game. Covers analyst Geoff Clark noted that even after giving out Cincinnati at plus-2.5 earlier in the week, trading the Bengals moneyline remained viable up to 53%. The NY Post reported that Tyler Huntley would step in to keep the ship afloat for Baltimore, though his passing limitations are clear compared to Jackson. Since 2024, Baltimore holds a 1-5 record against the spread with a rest disadvantage and a minus-4.8 spread differential, entering this contest after falling short in Cleveland the previous week.
Bengals Defensive Weaknesses Face League Leader Derrick Henry
Cincinnati enters the game off a bye week with a much cleaner injury situation, though defensive vulnerabilities remain apparent in the ground game. The Bengals allow 5.0 yards per carry, ranking second-most in the NFL, alongside 123 rushing yards per game. That weakness sets up a direct challenge against Derrick Henry, who leads the league in rush attempts and ranks fourth in rushing yards. Conversely, ESPN data cited by Covers shows a strength-on-weakness edge in the trenches, placing Cincinnati’s defense seventh in run-stop win rate while Baltimore ranks 19th in run-block win rate. Meanwhile, the Bengals defense ranks 31st in blitz percentage but fourth in pressure percentage, tying for the fourth-most sacks in the league without needing to blitz heavily.
Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase Drive Passing Props
The offensive script for Cincinnati leans heavily on the passing game, given that the Bengals rank 27th in yards per rush while Baltimore ranks ninth in yards per rush allowed. Joe Burrow holds the highest completion rate in NFL history and anchors player prop targets, with analysts pointing to value on his completions prop up to 26-plus alongside Ja’Marr Chase maintaining an anytime touchdown prop as long as it stays below 50%. Chase has recorded eight touchdowns in 10 career games against Baltimore and leads Cincinnati with four touchdown catches on the season. A same-game parlay strategy combining Bengals plus-1.5, a Chase anytime touchdown, and Burrow recording 25-plus pass completions depends on Cincinnati turning the contest into a controlled, possession-heavy script.
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