Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals Inactive and Injury Reports for Monday Night Football
- The final Bills vs Bengals injury report has been released ahead of Monday Night Football
- Just one starter for each team is questionable, but Cincy will be without starting tackle La’el Collins (knee) who was put on IR last week
- Keep reading for the complete Bills vs Bengals injury report, plus analysis of how injuries have impacted betting lines
It doesn’t happen often, but the NFL did football fans a favor this week by saving the best for last. Tonight’s mega-tilt between the Bills and Bengals is easily the most compelling matchup of the Week 17 slate, and a potential AFC Championship Game preview.
A contest of this magnitude definitely deserves the Monday Night Football treatment and comes just in time for the launch of Ohio online sports betting.
Surprisingly, each team enters in pretty good health. Both Buffalo and Cincinnati have just one starter apiece with an injury designation, although the Bengals did suffer a significant loss to their offensive line last week.
Go to: Bills Injury Report / Bengals Injury Report
Buffalo Bills Injury Report
Safety Jordan Poyer is the lone Bill listed as questionable ahead of tonight due to a knee injury, but reports are he’ll be on the field. That’s huge for Buffalo, as the Bills are a perfect 14-0 in the last 14 regular season games he’s started.
The 10-year veteran has missed four games so far this season, and Buffalo has amassed just a 1-3 record. The last game he missed came back in early November versus Minnesota, and the Bills surrendered a season-high 33 points in an overtime loss.
.@nflnetwork reporting that #Bills safety Jordan Poyer WILL play tonight. pic.twitter.com/vCbeKJtvMf
— Buffalo Fanatics (@BfloFanatics) January 2, 2023
Buffalo enters play as DVOA’s number two ranked defense and has allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL per the Bills vs Bengals picks. Poyer and the Buffalo secondary will have their hands full with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Burrow has thrown 8 TD over his last three games but has also been picked off four times.
The Bills have forced the eighth most interceptions in the league and should be able to get consistent pressure on Burrow thanks to a depleted Cincy offensive line. Consider playing Burrow over 0.5 interceptions in the Bills vs Bengals player props.
Cincinnati Bengals Injury Report
The Bengals’ offensive line is now a potential liability thanks to the loss of La’el Collins. Their starting right tackle was the second-highest-graded player at his position on the roster, and the team’s number-one run blocker. Third-year reserve Hakeem Adeniji will likely get the start in place of Collins, and he currently boasts the lowest pass-blocking grade of any Cincy offensive lineman.
Elsewhere on the injury front, defensive end Sam Hubbard (calf) is the only player listed as questionable. Hubbard missed last week’s game at New England and got in only limited practice reps this week. Hubbard is shaping up as a true game-time decision, and Cincy could certainly use his presence.
He leads the Bengals in sacks, and currently has five more tackles for loss than anyone else on the team. If he sits, Josh Allen should have plenty of time to pick this Cincy defense apart.
How Injuries Have Affected Bills vs Bengals Betting Lines
Now that it looks like Poyer is good to go, the Bengals injury situation tilts this game in Buffalo’s favor. That’s the way bettors are approaching wagering on this game per the Bills vs Bengals public betting splits, as there’s been serious line movement on Monday.
Buffalo has gone from a 1-point favorite to -2.5. The move isn’t based solely on Cincy’s injuries, but it’s likely playing a small role.
The Bengals enter play in the midst of a historic ATS run, but they’re likely due for regression. Cincy has covered seven straight, and 12 of their last 13 overall. That kind of spread success simply isn’t sustainable in the NFL due to the parity among teams.
Statistically, Buffalo is the best team the Bengals have faced all season, and booking them at less than a field goal is an insult to what they’ve accomplished.
Rumble in the jungle. 😤@CaesarsSports | #BUFvsCIN pic.twitter.com/BQJyDHXJgG
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 2, 2023
The Bills are the number one team per DVOA and the top Super Bowl odds contender. They were favored by just as many points against the Chiefs in Kansas City earlier in the year, a team with shorter championship odds, and a better DVOA ranking than Cincy.
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As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
