With Anthony Brown and Gus Edwards in for Snoop Huntley and J.K. Dobbins, the Ravens are resting two important offensive players at key positions against a Bengals team motivated to pull away by margin so it can perhaps rest its starters in the fourth quarter. This despite Baltimore already being a shaky offense to start. Cincinnati enters this game motivated, healthy and rested (at least physically) coming out of last week's unfortunate situation. The only thing the Bengals can control Sunday is what happens on the field, and at home against a rival with plenty of pent-up juice waiting to be released, this is an appropriate line for a team that should outman the visitors.

Baltimore is generally gold when receiving more than a field goal, having gone 16-3-1 in such instances in the past five seasons. Here is the exception to the rule. The Ravens are leaning toward QB Anthony Brown at QB. He is an undrafted rookie with five career passes. He would not be handing off to RB J.K. Dobbins, who will be rested, and be challenged mightily to produce points. In the past four games, none with Lamar Jackson behind center, no team has scored as few as the three TDs managed by Baltimore. Cincinnati is motivated by anger that the league decided to determine home-field edge in the playoffs' first round with a coin flip should the Ravens prevail. The Bengals aspire to leave no doubt who the better AFC North team is.

Baltimore isn't great against the pass but it's basically as if the Ravens are giving up on this game in terms of resting players, so the Bengals should get out to a big lead and get Joe Burrow out of there to prepare for the wild-card round.

Joe Burrow was held to 217 passing yards in the first meeting with Baltimore. That is his third-lowest output this season. But the main angle here is, how much will Cincinnati need to throw? The Ravens will start either a banged-up Tyler Huntley or undrafted rookie Anthony Brown at quarterback. They've scored 59 points over their last five games. Look for a more conservative game plan from the Bengals and go Under on Burrow's passing yards.

The Ravens have avoided the late-season collapse that cots them the playoffs last year, but they are just 3-3 in their last six with the wins coming by eight points combined. Tyler Huntley has been shaky in relief of Lamar Jackson amid limited weapons and a mediocre ground game. Even so, the Bengals are positioned for a flat spot because of the stress surrounding Monday night's severe injury to Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin. On Friday, the Bengals complained about the NFL's solution to the canceled game, which means this one is destined to be closer than it should be.