Bengals vs. Broncos: NFL Week 15 betting odds, preview, and pick

A huge matchup with playoff implications is set for Sunday, when the Cincinnati Bengals travel west to take on the Denver Broncos.

Let’s preview the game, with a close look at this contest between the ninth- and 10th-place teams in the AFC.

The game is set for the late window Sunday afternoon and features the Bengals, who are 7-6 straight up and 6-7 against the spread. The Broncos are also 7-6 straight up and 7-6 against the spread.

Interestingly for the Broncos, they have covered every game they won and not covered in the games they have lost. The spread for this game has Denver as a small one-point favorite playing at home, and the total is 43.5 points.

Broncos' strength of schedule

It is an interesting oddity that the Broncos’ ability to cover the spread has thus far been reliant on their ability to win the game. It isn’t likely that the streak continues through the end of the season, but it looks very likely to continue for at least one more week.

When looking at the Broncos' season, it has come in three parts. They began 3-0, with wins against bottom-dwellers, then proceeded to go on a four-game losing streak. They’ve now alternated wins and losses over their last five games, with some nice wins against the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers, and big losses against the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs during that stretch.

Five of their seven wins have come against the Giants, Jaguars, Jets, Lions, and a banged-up Washington team. The combined record of those teams is 16-48.

Even in their wins against the Cowboys and Chargers, key turnovers at pivotal moments proved decisive.

The Broncos offense is just 18th in the league in yards per play, and given the relative weakness of the teams they’ve faced, there is reason to question just how good they’ve been.

Teddy Bridgewater is playing banged up, and while he’s shown toughness in persevering through injuries, his lack of effort in stopping offensive turnovers from turning into defensive touchdowns by both the Eagles and Chiefs demonstrated a softness that can only be matched by his team's schedule.

Bengals and Broncos betting trends

• Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games
• Bengals are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a straight-up loss
• The underdog is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings
• Bengals are 4-0 ATS in their last four games in Denver
• The Under is 6-1 in the Broncos’ last seven games

Burrow over Bridgewater

Both these teams desperately need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, and the result should be an intense and closely contested game.

When it comes down to the fourth quarter, however, look for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to show more than his counterpart. Burrow has graded better throughout the year and can threaten with the deep ball better than Bridgewater.

Look for the Bengals to bounce back after back-to-back home losses and stay in the race for the AFC North with a big victory.

Score prediction: Bengals 23, Broncos 20

Week 15 NFL pick: Under 44