The Cincinnati Bengals Look to Prove They're Back vs Seattle Seahawks

Few offenses have been as potent as the Seattle Seahawks to start the 2023 NFL season. But there’s a chance they’re running into a once-asleep, now-awoken giant in Week 6 when they face off against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, October 15, at 1 p.m. eastern standard time, on the field at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Indeed, the Bengals started off the season in poor fashion. The offense looked broken, and freshly extended superstar quarterback Joe Burrow was battling a calf injury that rendered him basically immobile in the pocket. On the heels of a dominant Week 5 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, though, the latest NFL online betting odds are favoring Cincinnati over Seattle:

Favorite			Underdog
Cincinnati Bengals	-146	+124	Seattle Seahawks

Please remember to double-check these online NFL betting odds prior to submitting your wager. Our Bengals vs. Seahawks betting odds are accurate entering Wednesday, October 11. That gives the best NFL online betting sites more than enough time to make adjustments based on the market ahead of opening kick-off on Sunday afternoon.

This game, in particular, is one you’ll want to monitor until your wagers are finalized. The Seahawks have struggled out of their past three “buy” weeks, going 0-3, but the Bengals have been Jekyll-and-Hyde-ing all over the place this season. Heck, we almost didn’t even want to touch this game. Seattle’s offense is still sixth in points scored per game, and Cincinnati’s own attack hasn’t performed nearly well enough week in and week out to guarantee they’ll exploit the Seahawks’ flaws. Which way should you be leaning entering this October 15 showdown? Read on to check out our Bengals vs. Seahawks predictions.

Have the Cincinnati Bengals Earned the Right to be Favored Over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6?

Yeesh. Talk about your loaded questions. Going by their record, the Bengals have far from earned the benefit of the doubt. They remain below .500, at 2-3, and have only managed to score more than 25 points once this season.

Moving the chains has proven to be something worse than a slog for this team. Cincinnati is 30th in net yards gained per passing attempt and a not much better 25 in net yards gained per rushing attempt. Fans and analysts can praise them for demolishing the Cardinals in Week 5 all they want, but, like, it was still the Cardinals. Arizona doesn’t have Kyler Murray back under center yet. They also don’t have a passing defense of which to speak.

Are we also just supposed to believe Joe Burrow’s calf injury is getting better for the Bengals? When he has failed to throw a touchdown in three of Cincinnati’s five games? We’re skeptical. However, he has shown encouraging signs over the past two weeks. He’s completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and moved about the pocket a little bit better. Against the Cardinals, specifically, he was able to throw a 63-yard bomb off his back foot.

Joe Burrow vs the Blitz in Weeks 1-4:
63.4 passing grade
73.5 passer rating
63.4% adjusted completion percentage

Joe Burrow vs the Blitz in Week 5 vs Arizona:
82.8 passing grade
120.5 passer rating
84.6% adjusted completion percentage

— Andrew Russell (@Andrew_Russell7) October 9, 2023

Reading too much into his singular Week 5 performance nevertheless feels dangerous. We find ourselves wishing the Bengals we’re paying out closer to even money.

Still, the defense is starting to show more signs of life by forcing additional turnovers and generating more pressure. Cincinnati has also limited opponents to fewer than 21 points in two of their last three contests. Seattle’s ability to move the ball both through the air and on the ground still gives us pause. The Geno Smith renaissance continues, and it’s a freaking delight. Ultimately, though, the improving health of Joe Burrow, the playmaking of the defense and the chance to play at home has us ever so slightly leaning toward the Bengals.

OSB Prediction: Cincinnati Bengals (-146)

Cincinnati Bengals To beat the Seattle Hawks

-146

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Linemakers Think the Seahawks and Bengals Week 6 Game will Come Down to the Wire

Here are the latest NFL point spread betting odds for the matchup between Seattle and Cincinnati:

Cincinnati Bengals, -2.5 (-120)
Seattle Seahawks, +2.5 (-102)

So much of the initial action has tilted toward the Bengals. We are seriously surprised. One game apparently means a whole lot to people betting on the Bengals. And it’s not just specific to this game. Cincinnati’s odds to make the 2023 NFL playoffs have risen a great deal over the past week.

With hesitation once again, we’re inclined to side with Cincinnati. Seattle is an impressive 3-1 on the season and scoring the ball a ton. But they haven’t scooped up victories against the toughest opponents.

Outlasting the Detroit Lions in Week 2 deserves a salute. Beating up on the Carolina Panthers (Week 3) and New York Giants (Week 4) is nothing to write home about. How will Seattle’s offense fare against a more aggressive setup from Cincinnati’s defense? We can’t be too sure, because we haven’t seen them face anything like it just yet. The lack of a hallmark victory over a top-shelf defense has us taking the Bengals to cover.

OSB Prediction: Cincinnati Bengals, -2.5 (-120)

Cincinnati Bengals To cover the point spread against the Seattle Seahawks

-120

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Should We be Expecting an Offensive Extravaganza from Seattle and Cincinnati?

The Seahawks have scored enough this season to inflate final point totals. Their Week 6 matchup in Cincinnati is no different, as you can see here:

Over 45.5 (-105)
Under 45.5 (-115)

In this case, the general public is thinking in our terms. The Bengals have not moved the ball nearly well or consistently enough to pencil them in for another three-plus-touchdown performance. Conversely, it’s tough to think the Seahawks will flirt with a massive output when the last time they faced a quality passing defense (in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams), they mustered just 13 points.

This feels like one of those instances in which the projected point total is way off—in favor of the “under.”

OSB Prediction: Under 45.5 (-115)

Seahawks and Bengals To score under 45.5 combined points

-110

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Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your 2023 NFL betting: