- The New England Patriots begin their season against the Cincinnati Bengals, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
- The Bengals are favored by eight points over the Patriots, which is the biggest spread of the week. The game total is set at 41.
- Jacoby Brissett won the Patriots' QB battle over rookie Drake Maye and will start opposite Joe Burrow, who returns after suffering a season-ending wrist injury last November.
It's time for my Patriots vs. Bengals prediction.
The Bengals (9-8) are a popular pick to bounce back after Joe Burrow's season-ending injury last year led to them missing the playoffs. The Patriots (4-13), meanwhile, are in a new era without Bill Belichick. Here's how this one might play out.
New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati Bengals Picks
SPREAD
I think eight points is too many for Cincinnati to be laying here, so I like the New England side. I would bet Patriots +9 if the spread gets there again.
MONEYLINE
While I think the Bengals shouldn't be favored by this much, I'm not going to bet the Patriots moneyline.
TOTAL
I have no bet on the over/under.
Patriots vs. Bengals Pick: Patriots +9
Patriots vs. Bengals Odds
| Patriots Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8 -110 | 41 -110o / -110u | +325 |
| Bengals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8 -110 | 41 -110o / -110u | -425 |
- Patriots vs. Bengals Point Spread: Patriots +8 | Bengals -8
- Patriots vs. Bengals Total: Over/Under 41
- Patriots vs. Bengals Moneyline: Patriots +325 | Bengals -425
- 67% of bets and 64% of the money are on Cincinnati to cover the spread.
- 88% of bets and 62% of the money are on the over.
- 95% of bets and 91% of the money on the moneyline are on the Bengals.
How To Watch New England vs. Cincinnati
| Location: | Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati |
| Date: | Sunday, Sept. 8 |
| Kickoff Time: | 1 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | CBS |
Bengals vs. Patriots is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET live from Paycor Stadium on Sunday. The game is live on CBS and other streaming platforms, such as YouTube TV.
NFL Weather Week 1 for Sunday's Game
How To Make NFL Picks for Patriots vs. Bengals
There is a lot of uncertainty on both sides here, and most of it on the Cincinnati side is with the offense.
Burrow is returning from a wrist injury that sidelined him for the stretch run of last season. Ja'Marr Chase is practicing this week, but his status for this game is still up in the air. Burrow's supporting cast of playmakers also will look a lot different with running back Joe Mixon and wide receiver Tyler Boyd both gone.
The Bengals' defense had less turnover, losing defensive tackle D.J. Reader but adding safety Vonn Bell from the Panthers.
For New England, there are plenty of big changes that bring unknown factors. Obviously, Belichick is gone and Jerod Mayo is in as head coach. It's a new era in New England.
Brissett will start under center despite New England spending the third overall pick on Maye earlier this year. The significant turnover at wide receiver and on the offensive line could be why the Patriots are opting against throwing Maye straight into the starting role.
According to Action Network's Sean Koerner, there's a 5.5-point difference against the spread between Burrow and Brissett. After that, I'm not sure there's enough that is in Cincinnati's favor between other factors like home-field advantage, special teams, coaching, the defenses, injuries or weather that can get me to think Cincinnati should be favored by this much.
Something else that gives me faith in New England: Teams that won six or fewer games the previous year are 84-52-6 (60%) ATS as underdogs in Week 1.
Again, I lean toward Patriots +8.5 but would bet this if the line rises back to +9.
Pick: Patriots +9
