The Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders will kick off their final preseason game of 2023 on Saturday night at Fed Ex Field in Summerfield, MD.
The Bengals will be using this game only for the deep reserves that are fighting for roster spots. The Commanders will likely do the same after losing Terry McLaurin to injury in the last game.
I analyze the NFL odds and total and give my best NFL picks and predictions for the Bengals vs. Commanders below.
Bengals vs Commanders odds
Bengals vs Commanders predictions
The Cincinnati Bengals are taking absolutely no chances with injuries in this preseason finale and are resting every starter on the team. Many of the starters will not even be making the trip to DC. This means we will likely see even playing time between Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning as they compete for the backup quarterback role.
Neither has been great this preseason as Siemian is 22/42 passing for 183 yards and an interception and Browning is 26/39 passing for 235 yards and two interceptions. We will also see split carries between Chase Brown and Chris Evans as both are on the bubble for that third and fourth running back spots and there is a question to whether the Bengals keep four backs on their final roster.
Last week, we saw the starting unit on defense for Cincy, but we will not get that on Saturday night. The good news is there is a lot of depth on that side including several early round draft picks in the last two years. They allowed 13 points in three quarters last week and 15 points in the second half in Week 1.
Last week, the Washington Commanders played their starting unit for an entire half and they looked great. This week we will not see those guys and see a lot more of the deeper roster players that didn’t see much action on Monday night.
Ron Rivera had this to say about the rule change where they only need to have one final roster cut in preseason, “Now that we’re able to keep more guys, one of the things you tell these young guys, too, is you may not play a lot in the second game, but just understand that third game, you’re going to play your butt off.”
This means we will likely see a lot of Jake Fromm at quarterback, Chris Rodriguez at running back, and a slew of young wide receivers looking to make the final cut. Fromm struggled in Week 1, but rebounded against the Ravens on Monday with a 10/16 passing for 91 yards and a touchdown performance. Rodriguez has been the best rusher in preseason games for Washington with 70 yards on 10 carries.
I like what I have seen from the Commanders reserves a little more than what I have seen from the Bengals reserves. Typically, I like playing first half wagers in the preseason, but not for this game. I think Washington will win and cover with the deeper roster at skill positions.
My best bet: Commanders -4.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
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