Buffalo Bills (12-3) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)

The Spread: Bills (-2)

The last standalone Monday/Thursday game of the year figures to be the best one yet. Buffalo travels to Cincinnati for a game with massive playoff implications. I’ve gone over this pick in my head a bunch over the last week and I’m still having trouble figuring out which way I’m leaning. The Bengals have been absolute monsters ATS this season, but when is the right time to jump off the train with them? I think tonight might be the night for it. Buffalo is the best team they are going to play so far this year (yes, even better than KC) and I feel like the Bengals are trending towards a letdown after basically only playing two halves of football in their last two games (2nd half vs Bucs and 1st half vs Pats). They can’t afford to sleepwalk through 30 minutes of this game or they’ll find themselves in a hole they won’t be able to dig out of. If the Bills want the AFC to go through Orchard Park it starts with a win tonight in Cincinnati.

The Play: Bills -2

Total (50.5)

I mean with all the crap games we’ve dealt with in primetime this year wouldn’t it be great to end on an absolute shootout? Neither of these teams have necessarily been over teams this year, in fact, they’ve both only hit the over five times a piece. Still though I’m feeling like we’re going to get some points tonight. This has all them makings of a high scoring back and forth game. A little Week 17 appetizer for the playoffs. Give me the over.

The Play: Over 50.5

Final Prediction

Bills 31 Bengals 28