Undoubtedly one of the biggest regular season clashes to date this season will unfold during the early window of Week 13, when the Cincinnati Bengals host the Los Angeles Chargers. Of course, both teams are in the midst of solid seasons and continue to push for playoff positioning, but this game also represents a coveted matchup between two of the top QB picks from last year’s draft – Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow.
Both young quarterbacks have endured their fair share of success thus far in the league, and Sunday’s clash will finally pit them against one another. Of course, Burrow went first overall, but it was Herbert who ended up winning last year’s Rookie of the Year title. Perhaps Sunday’s clash will work to settle some early-career bragging rights.
The Chargers enter at 6-5, but are coming off of a dismal showing in Denver last week. Herbert struggled against a talented defense, and will need to do a better job of using his weapons against a questionable Cincy stop unit.
For the Bengals, two straight blowout wins have the city of Cincinnati buzzing. Their offense has been explosive and should be eager to take on the Chargers’ defense. At 7-4 the playoffs are in sight, but defensive issues do linger.
For added insight on this big-time clash, live odds, trends, and the latest data – keep reading below for our betting analysis on the Bengals vs. Chargers, as we look to breakdown this fascinating matchup and secure another victory for you!
Let's not forget, Justin Herbert has been better than Joe Burrow at every stage in his NFL career. While the spotlight (rightfully) is on them, whichever team wins the game shouldn't be an indication of which QB is better, as it has clearly been Herbert so far regardless pic.twitter.com/wW6ghBy3W4
— Arjun Menon (@arjunmenon100) December 4, 2021
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Cincinnati Bengals Live Odds & Betting History
*These odds are provided by BetOnline.ag
| TEAM DATA | CHARGERS | BENGALS |
| Overall Record | 5-7-0 | 3-8-0 |
| ATS Record | 6-5-0 | 7-4-0 |
| Home/Away Record | 3-2-0 | 3-2-0 |
| Points Per Game | 24.8 | 28.1 |
| Points Against Per Game | 26.8 | 20.4 |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 280.3 | 243.2 |
| Rushing Yards Per Game | 145.7 | 93.8 |
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Cincinnati Bengals Prediction
While Justin Herbert has clearly had the better start to his career, he does seem to possess more glaring weaknesses than his counterpart in Burrow. For one, Herbert has struggled to date going up against defenses that employ blitz packages. Last week against Denver Herbert struggled against the Broncos’ blitz, but luckily for him, the Bengals’ defense doesn’t offer up much of that.
Cincinnati on defense doesn’t do much of anything well, and as a result Herbert should see another stellar outing. When Herbert has gotten solid protection, and time and space to operate from within the pocket, he has shown an ability to pick defenses apart. It also helps that Mike Feiler will be back along his O-Line for Los Angeles. Add in the fact that nobody within the Bengals’ secondary will be able to cover the likes of Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, or Austin Ekeler coming out of the backfield – and you have to like L.A.’s chances at moving the chains come Sunday.
The Chargers meanwhile will offer up a ton of pressure at Burrow, and he’s had mixed results at handling that throughout his early career. Much of the Bengals’ recent success of late has been through the air, and though Joe Mixon has been seeing the ball a ton, the Chargers will look to stack the box to prevent him from being effective. This is because with both Asante Samuel and Chris Harris back in the fold in the secondary, the Chargers are suddenly a very tough team to throw on. These are tough matchups for both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase downfield.
This is a line that has moved quite a bit in recent weeks, but it’s the Chargers who seem to matchup better and have received healthy bodies back into their starting lineup. It’ll surely be an intriguing contest, and one in which Los Angeles enters seeking added respect.
Most accurate QBs on 10+ yard throws | min. 100 attempts
? Matt Ryan
? Joe Burrow
? Justin Herbert pic.twitter.com/os4hMESBxI— PFF (@PFF) December 1, 2021
Chargers vs. Bengals Trends To Know:
- Chargers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games in December.
- Chargers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games.
- Bengals are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win.
- Bengals are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Road team is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings between these two teams.
The Bengals are banged-up across their offensive line, while the Chargers seem to be trending in the opposite direction as per the latest injury report. Expect Los Angeles’ pass rush to overwhelm Cincinnati, and Burrow could struggle as a result. The weapons of the Chargers’ attack should dominate a pedestrian Cincy stop unit, in what is shaping up to be a favourable stylistic matchup for Justin Herbert and his Chargers. Back them to win on Sunday.
