The Cincinnati Bengals host the New England Patriots in Week 1 of the 2024-25 NFL season in a matchup between two teams trending in opposite directions. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EST on September 8th at Paycor Stadium and the game will be televised exclusively on the CBS Sports Network in the United States. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Bengals listed as nine-point home favorites. The spread has moved significantly after early betting, as speculation about the availability of Cincinnati’s star wideout Ja’Marr Chase has moved the line down to -7.5 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 40.5 points. Click here for a full look at the Week 1 NFL odds and for more links to our individual game previews.
Cincinnati Bengals Look to Rebound With Healthy Burrow
It was a disappointing year for Cincinnati in 2023-24, as the Bengals narrowly missed the playoffs despite finishing one game over .500 at 9-8 overall. Star QB Joe Burrow battled a calf injury early before going down in November with a season-ending wrist injury. Despite strong play from backup Jake Browning, Cincinnati never fully recovered and was on the outside looking in during Wild Card Weekend.
RB Joe Mixon has found a new home in Houston, so the Bengals backfield will consist of some combination of former Indianapolis Colt Zack Moss and sophomore RB Chase Brown. Tyler Boyd is also no longer with the team, but with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins terrorizing opposing secondaries, Burrow should be able to rebound nicely in 2024-25.
There is some cause for concern, at least temporarily, with the ongoing Ja’Marr Chase contract negotiations. While it is highly likely that the Bengals lock up their star wideout very soon, it has caused a bit of a distraction leading up to their Week 1 clash with New England. It still remains to be seen whether or not the situation gets resolved before Sunday afternoon, but if it doesn’t, don’t be surprised if Chase sits out for at least one week.
On the other side of the ball, there is no question that Cincinnati lost several key players during the offseason. The biggest loss was clearly Trey Hendrickson, who demanded a trade from the front office after racking up 17.5 total sacks last year. D.J. Reader has also moved on after four years, as the imposing defensive tackle signed a contract with Detroit in April. As a whole, it will be a tough task for Cincinnati to stay near the league average for team defense in 2024-25.
New England Patriots Excited for the Mayo and Maye Era To Begin
It was definitely a season to forget for the Patriots in 2023-24, as New England’s 4-13 record was their worst finish in over thirty years. New Head Coach Jerod Mayo certainly has his work cut out for him, as this current Pats roster looks years away from contention. New England used their first round draft pick on Drake Maye, who was selected third overall and appears to be the quarterback of the future. In the meantime, the Patriots will turn to veteran QB Jacoby Brissett to run an offense that was one of the NFL’s worst last season.
There are a ton of question marks at the wideout position for New England, as the already thin receiving corps have numerous issues heading into Week 1. Kendrick Bourne is still coming back from a torn ACL, while Demario Douglas has struggled with consistency at times. It will be interesting to watch how rookie Ja’Lynn Polk responds to his first taste of the NFL, as he will be given every opportunity to make a big impact for a Pats squad already facing a severe lack of depth. TE Hunter Henry may be the most reliable pass-catching option for Brissett out of the gate, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Defensively, New England managed to stay around the middle of the pack for most of the 2023-24 season, holding opponents to an average of 301.6 total yards and 21.5 points per game. The secondary will get a huge boost this year, as Christian Gonzalez is back after a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4 against Dallas. The duo of Wise and White will be relied upon heavily as pass rushers after Matthew Judon was traded to Atlanta for a third rounder during training camp.
Our NFL Betting Prediction and Pick: Bengals -7.5
There looks to be a decent amount of value on the Cincinnati side in this particular spot, especially now that the spread has shrunk by a full point and a half with all the question marks surrounding Ja’Marr Chase and his availability this weekend. Even if he doesn’t suit up on Sunday, the Bengals should be able to roll over a poor Patriots roster with relative ease.
Jacoby Brissett could be in for a long afternoon on the road in Week 1, as his weapons on the outside are extremely limited. Joe Burrow is finally back to 100% health and Cincinnati has plenty of depth on offense, even if Chase sits out. New England still needs time to adjust to life without Judon leading the way on the pass rush, so Burrow should have plenty of time to target his receivers downfield.
The Patriots have also really struggled against the spread in the first month of the season as of late, going a dreadful 0-5 ATS as an underdog in September. Additionally, Cincinnati has really performed well against the spread when facing NFC East opponents in recent history, covering the spread in five consecutive meetings. Ultimately, there are too many question marks surrounding this rebuilding Pats squad to back them on the road against a team that should challenge for the division in the AFC North – lay the 7.5 points and roll with the Bengals at home!
