Atlanta Falcons vs. Cincinnati Bengals Odds, Spread, Preview: NFL Week 7 Predictions

Atlanta Falcons vs. Cincinnati Bengals Week 7 matchup preview and current betting lines

Sunday will be a battle between two 3-3 teams looking to jump-start their seasons. The Bengals have underperformed after making the Super Bowl last year and the Falcons have overperformed.

After narrowly losing in the big game and having a historic playoff run, many NFL analysts believed the Bengals would be above .500 going into week 7. Cincinnati got off to a rough 0-2 start but has bounced back. 

Zac Taylor and his squad are coming off a 30-26 win over New Orleans. The Bengals trailed 26-21 with 3:42 left on the clock, then Evan McPherson knocked through a 52-yard field goal to cut the lead to 26-24. The Bengals received the ball again after the Saints failed to move the chains. On the first play of the drive, Joe Burrow found Ja’Marr Chase for a 60-yard touchdown to seal the win. 

No one gave Atlanta a chance to succeed this season and many pundits called it a rebuilding year. Head coach Arthur Smith brought in Marcus Mariota to replace the long-time starter, Matt Ryan. Mariota is considered a journeyman since this is his third NFL team.

The Falcons were given 60-1 odds to win the NFC South to start the year, worse odds than many organizations to win the Super Bowl. After six weeks, the team sits tied for the best record in the division with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but remains in second due to the head-to-head record.

Atlanta has won three of its last four and enters the game after a shocking 28-14 upset over San Francisco. After being tied for the majority of the second quarter, Mariota scampered in the end zone for a three-yard score to give Atlanta a 21-14 lead.

Tight end Kyle Pitts caught a seven-yard touchdown from Mariota midway through the third quarter to extend the lead to 14. The Falcons’ defense held tight and shut out the 49ers in the second half to secure the victory. 

The current moneyline odds for this matchup on BetRivers Sportsbook are Atlanta (+215) vs. Cincinnati (-278). Oddsmakers favor the Bengals as 6.5-point favorites at -112 odds. Among the public, 53% of spread bets have been placed on the Falcons to cover and 93% of the money is on them to win. 

Players to watch in the Falcons vs. Bengals contest

Atlanta

Drake London: The 2020 No. 8 overall pick became the Bengals’ de facto WR1 due to Calvin Ridley being suspended for the entire 2022 season. The former USC Trojan leads the team in receiving with 306 yards. He’s also found the end zone twice. After posting 214 yards in his first three games, the receiver has been quiet with 92 yards over the following three outings.

Cincinnati

Joe Mixon: The Bengals primary ball carrier is only averaging a paltry 3.3 yards per carry this campaign. Last year, the 26-year-old averaged 4.1 yards per tote. Through six games, Mixon has 104 attempts for 347 rushing yards. The former Oklahoma Sooner only has one rushing and receiving touchdown thus far. 

Our NFL bet of the week for the Falcons vs. Bengals

ESTNN is providing wagerers with two free selections for this game.

Falcons vs. Bengals Spread: Falcons +6.5 @ -109

There is a new “America’s team” according to gamblers. The crown has been passed from the Cowboys to the Falcons (not really). This is due to Atlanta’s undefeated 6-0 record against the spread in 2022-2023. In its three losses, the team has lost by a total of 11 points, which averages out to 3.7 points per loss.

In terms of total offense, Atlanta ranks 23rd (324.3 yards per game) and is 19th in points allowed per contest (22.7). For points scored per game, Smith’s team averages 24.3 which is eighth in the league. The defensive unit is surrendering 385.2 yards per outing (27th). 

The Bengals are scoring 23 points per game (15th) and rank 20th in total offense (337.7 yards per contest). On the other side of the ball, they are allowing 339 yards per game (14th) and are 10th in points allowed (19.2 per matchup).

Mariota has played well in his new offense, accumulating a 59.2 quarterback rating (9th in the NFL). The former Heisman Trophy winner has thrown for 1,055 yards with six touchdowns compared to four interceptions. The Oregon product has also added two rushing scores via the ground game.

Fellow Heisman winner Joe Burrow has thrown for 1,616 yards, (6th) 12 touchdowns (4th) and has just five interceptions. The former LSU Tiger has a QBR of 51.8 (16th).

The 2020 No. 1 overall pick continues to find success with his former college teammate, Chase. The electric wide receiver leads the team in receiving (475 yards) and exploded against the Saints for 132 yards on seven catches along with two touchdowns. 

Mariota and his offense might try and exploit the Bengals struggles when covering the tight end. Cincinnati is allowing 66.2 yards to tight ends since the start of last season (29th) and the Falcons’ tight ends have averaged 70.7 receiving yards per game since the start of 2021. The highest-ever drafted tight end, (No. 4 pick in 2020) Pitts will certainly cause matchup problems. 

Aside from their impressive unbeaten record against the spread, the Falcons are 5-1 ATS in their last six games played in October. The Bengals are 4-2 ATS this season. Four of their six games have come down to four points or less.

The Falcons should continue their run of close games when visiting Paycor Stadium. Our pick is to take Atlanta to cover the 6.5-point spread on BetRivers Sportsbook at -109 odds. 

bet on NFL with Betrivers >

Falcons vs. Bengals odds: Tee Higgins over 75.5 receiving yards @ -110

The former Clemson Tiger has hit the receiving over prop in 14 of his last 19 games. Higgins barely played in week 5 due to an injury and played hurt in week 6. In his three healthy games this year, he’s averaged 96 yards per game.

The 23-year-old will face an Atlanta secondary that is allowing 330.5 passing yards per contest: 31st in the league. Cincinnati has thrown for 1,939 yards thus far (323.2 yards per outing) which ranks fifth in the NFL.

Our pick is to bet Higgins records over 75.5 receiving yards on bet365. The sportsbook is offering -110 odds for the prop.

If you’re interested in learning about more prop bets for week 7, read our NFL player props page.

bet on nfl with BET365