Bills vs. Bengals Blowout?! ESPN's Predictions for Monday Night Football
The Buffalo Bills are on the verge of wrapping up a successful regular season in which they've already completed two goals: clinching a playoff spot, and winning the AFC East.
Although all is not finished, the Bills are still in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and a win on Monday against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium will put them in the driver's seat for the AFC's top seed.
ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) is projecting the Bills handily take care of business against the Bengals on "Monday Night Football," beating them 37-9.
Considering the magnitude of the game and Cincinnati's current seven-game winning streak, a blowout like this is a bold prediction from ESPN's FPI.
"The Steelers beat the Ravens, which keeps Pittsburgh alive," ESPN wrote. "That also would have hurt Baltimore's chances to win the AFC North ... except the Bengals also lose in blowout fashion to the Bills, meaning that division comes down to Week 18."
The project by the FPI is in stark contrast to what Las Vegas thinks of the marquee matchup between the Bills and Bengals. The opening line had the Bills as a 1.5-point favorite.
Both teams are red-hot; the Bills are riding a six-game winning streak, while the Bengals have won seven straight. It will be streak versus streak, as two of the top offenses do battle with two elite quarterbacks.
To finish out the season, ESPN projects the Bills to beat the New England Patriots 27-17, which would give Buffalo the top seed in the AFC.
"Buffalo entered the final two weeks in control of its own destiny for the No. 1 seed but with two challengers hot in pursuit," ESPN wrote." "The Bills sit at 12-3 -- the same record as Kansas City but with a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs and a game up on the Bengals, their Week 17 opponent.
"For Buffalo, the task is simple: Take care of business and earn a bye. And that's exactly what the Bills do, turning up the offensive heat to blow out the Bengals 37-9 in Week 17 before taking care of the division-rival Patriots in Week 18 by 10 points to finish 14-3. Josh Allen & Co. can take a week off before their postseason begins."
The Bills and Bengals will meet on Monday, Jan. 2, with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (ET) at Paycor Stadium.
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