The Cincinnati Bengals (1-4) and New York Giants (2-3) will face off in NFL Week 6 on Sunday Night Football. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on NBC. The game can be streamed on Peacock, YouTube TV and other streaming services.
The Bengals are 3.5-point favorites over the Giants (Bengals -3.5) after the spread opened Bengals -5.5 before the season. The game total is 47 after opening at 45. Cincinnati is -185 to win outright on the moneyline, while New York is +150 to pull off the upset.
The Bengals lost 41-38 to the Ravens in overtime last week. Joe Burrow had 392 passing yards and threw 5 touchdown passes, but a late interception helped enable Baltimore's comeback. The Giants won 29-20 against the Seahawks. Daniel Jones threw for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Tyrone Tracy Jr. ran for 129 yards.
Let's get into my Bengals vs. Giants predictions and my NFL picks for Sunday Night Football.
Bengals vs. Giants Odds, Pick, Prediction
| Bengals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -105 | 47 -110 / -110 | -200 |
| Giants Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -115 | 47 -110 / -110 | +165 |
- Bengals vs. Giants spread: Bengals -3.5
- Bengals vs. Giants over/under: 47 points
- Bengals vs. Giants moneyline: Bengals -200, Giants +165
- Bengals vs. Giants pick: Under 47
My Giants vs. Bengals best bet is on the under at 47 total points. For all of your NFL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NFL odds page.
Spread
I'm passing on the spread on this game. I'm mostly in line with it and don't see enough of an edge to make a bet.
Moneyline
Likewise, I'm not betting either moneyline.
Over/Under
My bet for this game is on the under. While Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense has done well this season, the Giants are capable of limiting explosive plays and aren't exactly a juggernaut themselves offensively.
My pick: Under 47 (-110)
Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Giants NFL Sunday Night Football Preview
Can the Bengals turn around their season after a disappointing 1-4 start against a feistier than expected Giants squad that is a couple of plays (and a healthy kicker) away from a 4-1 start? Cincinnati came into the season with high expectations, but got off to its usual slow start with a home loss to the Patriots.
Since the opener, the Bengals have won just one game at Carolina, but all four of their losses have come by one score. They arguably should have won against both Kansas City and Baltimore — two of the best teams in the NFL, but that's just how the ball bounces sometimes.
Can Zac Taylor rally the locker room after some of the players questioned his decision making late in that Baltimore game? We'll probably know early in the game against New York on Sunday night.
The Bengals offense certainly hasn't been the problem. They have been cooking with gas since Joe Burrow and company shook off the rust. In Weeks 2-5, Cincinnati ranked No. 2 overall in EPA per play, trailing only the surprising Commanders juggernaut.
The offensive line has finally got its act together from a pass blocking perspective, which has allowed Burrow to carve up opposing defenses with a now healthy group of pass catchers. The pass protection is certainly key against the Giants, whose overwhelming strength on defense lies up front on a unit that has helped the Giants rank No. 1 in the league in havoc created (conversely, the Bengals rank dead last night in that category).
If the Bengals can handle a Giants pass rush that will have to make do without Kayvon Thibodeaux, Burrow should make one of the worst secondaries in the NFL pay. And it's not like Cincy shouldn't have success on the ground, either, against a New York run defense that ranks below average in efficiency and in the bottom three in explosiveness. There are many avenues for Cincy to move the ball on a consistent basis.
Similar to the Bengals, the Giants offense has really taken off after an abysmal season opener against the Vikings. Between Weeks 2-5, they actually rank 12th in EPA per Play and even looked very good last week in Seattle without star rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who will miss another game with a concussion. Brian Daboll has done a tremendous job with this short-passing attack. And while far from elite, they have definitely seen improved play along the offensive line, an area that has plagued the G-Men for years.
The Bengals defense has been an abject disaster through five weeks, especially against the run where they rank dead last in Success Rate allowed. Part of that has to do with the loss of D.J. Reader this past offseason (the Bengals were a top-5 rush defense with him on the field last year and the worst without him), and the other part has to do with a cluster injuries along the defensive line.
While they still don't profile as a competent run defense, the good news is they should be as healthy as they've been all season up front. That should at least help provide some resistance to the Giants rushing attack, which has graded out as a bottom-3 unit in terms of efficiency after the loss of Barkley and an offensive line that still doesn't generate consistent push (24th in Line Yards).
I'm pretty close to the market from a spread perspective, so I have nothing there. However, I do fancy the under. For some odd reason, Bengals games have consistently taken under money in recent weeks and then proceeded to fly over the total. With that said, this may finally be the week to go under the total, which is currently sitting higher than where the Bengals-Commanders total closed at.
After playing the offenses of the Chiefs, Ravens, and Commanders in three of the past four weeks, this will be a step down in class for a now healthier Bengals defense, which I expect to respond after being called out repeatedly in the Cincinnati market after their latest porous effort. It also doesn't hurt that the Giants won't have Nabers on the outside.
While Burrow should have a productive day at the office, the Giants have at least done an adequate job of limiting explosive plays through the air, which should at least force the Bengals to chew up clock on their drives. Keep in mind these are two slow-paced teams.
From a prop perspective, I'd target Theo Johnson, who I think could benefit the most from the absence of Nabers in this particular matchup. We saw the Bengals struggle mightily against Baltimore's tight ends last week. And with the linebackers looking to fill in the run game to compensate for a lackluster defensive line, there could be opportunities for Johnson to get a few more open looks. If I had to choose, I'd go with his receiving yards over.
Picks: Under 47 (-110) | Theo Johnson Over 25.5 Receiving Yards (-105)
Betting Trends
How to Watch: Time, Channel, Streaming
| Location: | MetLife Stadium |
| Date: | Sunday, Oct. 13 |
| Kickoff Time: | 8:20 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | NBC / Peacock and YouTube TV |
Giants vs. Bengals is scheduled for a 8:20 p.m. ET start time, live from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on Sunday night. The game is broadcasted live by NBC and is streaming on Peacock and YouTube TV.
NFL Weather
