Pick against the spread for Bills vs. Bengals in Week 9 of 2023 NFL season

The Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) welcome the Buffalo Bills (5-3) to Paycor Stadium on Sunday Night Football in a rematch of last year’s AFC Divisional Round matchup that ended in a 27-10 win for the Bengals.

The Bengals are 1-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the total is set at 49.5.

Bills vs. Bengals, Week 9: Pick against the spread

The Bills, who are making their first trip to Paycor Stadium since last year’s matchup that was suspended when Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field, are one-point underdogs and are coming off a 24-18 win over the Buccaneers last Thursday night. The Bills offensive is led by Josh Allen (2,100 yards passing, 189 yards rushing) and Stefon Diggs (748 yards receiving), both of whom were held in check in last year’s playoff game.

The Bengals have begun to find their stride as of late, as they’ve won three games in a row since opening October with a 27-3 loss to the Titans. Joe Burrow appears to be fully healed from a calf injury that compromised him at the beginning of the season (he’s thrown for eight touchdowns and two interceptions over the team’s winning streak), and has re-found his connection with stud wideout Ja’Marr Chase (656 yards and four touchdowns). That, coupled with the team’s resurgent defense (they haven’t allowed more than 20 points over the last three games) has their arrow pointing up in a crowded AFC postseason picture.

All that being said, I like the Bills as road underdogs. They’ve had kind of an up-and-down start to the season but they’re still one of the more talented teams in the AFC and will also enter Sunday’s game with an extra chip on their shoulder after last year’s postseason loss. Burrow threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s postseason matchup, but he should have a much tougher matchup on Sunday against Buffalo’s revamped defense.

The Pick: Bills +1