Can Joe Burrow lead the Bengals to a big win in primetime against the Chargers?
The Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers will wrap up the Sunday slate in Week 11. A game that was originally scheduled to play earlier in the day that was flexed into Sunday Night, this should be a great matchup between two AFC contenders. The Chargers come in at 6-3 while the Bengals are 4-6, but playing much better than their record suggests.
Through 10 games, the Bengals have had a very up and down start to their season. They’ve come up on the wrong side of one-score games twice against the Ravens and once against the Chiefs. They started the season by losing to a team they probably should have beaten in the Patriots. However, this might be the best 4-6 team in the NFL. If they get hot and figure it out on defense, they are a team to be reckoned with over the season’s second half.
The Chargers on the other hand don’t necessarily play an exciting brand of football, but they play smart. That was to be expected once Jim Harbaugh entered the building. The Chargers aren’t losing heart-breaking one-score games and also boast one of the NFL’s best defenses. Justin Herbert is quietly having a great season as he’s thrown 11 touchdowns to just one interception. In fact, Herbert hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 2.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Chargers are just 1.5-point favorites at home against the Bengals. For a Chargers team that is 6-3 and playing very solid, that seems like a disrespectful line and shows just how underrated they’ve been this season. The Bengals absolutely could win this game and it would not be surprising. However, the Chargers defense could give Joe Burrow some problems. The Chargers grind out a tough win against a Bengals team with their backs against the wall.
The Pick: Chargers (-1.5)
Season Record: 13-19
