After two close losses to open the season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get into the win column when they take on the Washington Commanders as part of a Monday Night Football doubleheader. For the third year in a row, Cincinnati has lost its first two games. Washington, meanwhile, will be looking for its second win of the season, reaching just half of its tally from a year ago in Week 3. The teams are 5-5-1 against each other since the start in 1970.
Kickoff from Cincinnati’s Paycore Stadium is set for 8:15 p.m. ET Cincinnati is a 7.5-point favorite in the latest Commanders vs. Bengals odds, while the overall points over/under is 46.5. Before making any Bengals vs. Commanders picks or predictions, you need to check out what SportsLine NFL expert Larry Hartstein has to say, given his expertise in picking with the Commanders.
A former lead writer for Coors and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines an extensive network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he developed while working for Pro Football Focus. Hartstein placed 52nd (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas Super Contest going 53-34-3 ATS. Larry’s weekly Vegas contest selections form the basis of his NFL best bets column, which is 79-48-2 (62.2%, +25.95 units) since its inception in 2022. Entering the 2024 season, Hartstein is 739-599 all-time on NFL sides and props (plus $4,860 for $100 players, every bet 1 unit) at SportsLine, including 547-452 ATS (55% long-term).
Also, Hartstein has gone an incredible 30-13-1 over his last 44 NFL picks including Commanders, returning $1,546. Anyone who has followed him is up.
Why Bengalis can cover.
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is among the best receivers in the NFL. He will be looking for his fourth game in a row with four plus catches. He has 1,441 receiving yards (102.9 per game) and 14 receiving touchdowns in 14 career games against NFC opponents. He has 23 catches for 290 yards (145 per game) and one receiving touchdown in two career Monday Night Football games.
Defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been a bright spot in the Bengals defense. He led Cincinnati with two sacks last week, his 11th game with two or more sacks since 2020, tied for second in the NFL in that span. He had half a sack or more in 10 of his past 11 games, and has 8.5 sacks in seven career Monday Night Football games, half a sack or more in each game. Hendrickson has six solo tackles on the season. See which team to return here.
Why Commanders Can Cover.
Austin Eckler returns for a quick start to his season. He is the Commanders’ leading receiver with seven catches for 99 yards (14.1 average), with two explosive plays, including a long of 27 yards. He has also carried 10 times for 48 yards. He is in his first season with Washington after spending his first seven seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. He has 1,000 carries for 4,403 yards and 39 touchdowns in his career.
Linebacker Bobby Wagner is also in his first season with Washington. He leads the Commanders in tackles with 19, including 10 solo, along with four tackles for loss. He also broke up a pass. He is in his 13th season in the NFL. In 187 career games, he has 1,725 tackles, including 1,006 solo, with 33 sacks, six forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, 69 pass breakups and 13 interceptions. See which team to pick here.
How to Choose a Pick for Commanders vs. Bengals
Hatstein has analyzed the Commanders vs. Bengals from every possible angle and while we can tell you he’s leaning on the point total, he’s also discovered a key X-factor that makes him one side of the spread. is jumping He’s just sharing on SportsLine what it is, and which way to go back.
