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The Los Angeles Rams will visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. The Rams went 5-12 last season and had low expectations entering the season, but they are 1-1 so far. They lost 30-23 to the San Francisco 49ers last week after beating the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. The Bengals, on the other hand, are 0-2 after losing division games to the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. Star quarterback Joe Burrow is officially active a calf injury. The Rams won the most recent meeting between the teams 23-20, in Super LVI two seasons ago.

Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET at Paycor Stadium. Cincinnati is a two-point favorite in the latest Bengals vs. Rams odds, and the over/under for total points scored is 43. Before making any Rams vs. Bengals picks or NFL predictions, you need to see what SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White has to say, considering his mastery of the Bengals.

Over the past seven years White, a CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor, has gone 376-290-24 (56.5%) in the world's most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest. He also is SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert, going 535-450-30 on his against-the-spread NFL picks from 2017-22, returning $3,532 to $100 players. Moreover, White is on an incredible 51-35-4 roll on picks involving the Bengals. Anybody following him has seen huge returns. 

Now, White has locked in on Rams vs. Bengals from every angle and just locked in his picks and MNF predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and trends for Bengals vs. Rams: 

  • Rams vs. Bengals spread: Cincinnati -2
  • Rams vs. Bengals Over/Under: 43 points
  • Rams vs. Bengals money line: Los Angeles +110, Cincinnati -130
  • Rams: Rams are 17-13-2 ATS as an underdog under Sean McVay (since 2017)
  • Bengals: Bengals are 15-13 ATS as a home favorite under Zac Taylor (since 2019)
  • Rams vs. Bengals: See picks at SportsLine
  • Rams vs. Bengals live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why the Bengals can cover

If Jake Browning has to start at quarterback, he'll be comfortable knowing he has receivers like Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd to help him. Chase scored 22 touchdowns and topped 1,000 yards in his first two seasons. He has 10 catches for 70 yards in the first two weeks, but is due to break out. Higgins posted 89 yards and two touchdowns last week and eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2022.

Running back Joe Mixon should be the wild card for Cincinnati this week after getting just 26 carries in the first two games. Mixon had 1,255 total yards in 14 games last season and will face a defense that has struggled against the run. The Rams are allowing 5.3 yards per carry, the second-worst mark in the NFL. The Bengals have had their own issues against the run, but the Rams rely on the pass and Cincinnati is allowing 190.5 passing yards per game (10th in NFL). See which team to pick here.

Why the Rams can cover

Los Angeles was 5-4-2 against the spread after a loss last season and are 6-5-2 against the number as an underdog since the start of the last campaign. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is leading the NFL's second-best offense, which is averaging 406 yards per game. He has 461 passing yards and has been sacked just once, and rookie receiver Puka Nacua is thriving in place of the injured Cooper Kupp. Nacua has an NFL-high 25 receptions, for 266 yards (second in NFL).

Fellow receiver Tutu Atwell also is taking advantage of his opportunities, posting 13 receptions for 196 yards. He caught 18 passes in 2022. The Rams' backfield is thin, but the backs could find success Monday. The Bengals are allowing 192 rushing yards per game, second-most in the NFL. Rams running back Kyren Williams has 154 total yards on 35 touches and has an NFL-high four total TDs. The L.A. defense is allowing 272.5 yards per game (seventh in NFL). See which team to pick here.

How to make Rams vs. Bengals picks

White has analyzed this matchup from every angle and while we can tell you he's leaning Over the point total, he has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Rams vs. Bengals on Monday Night Football, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rams vs. Bengals spread hits hard, all from the expert who is 51-35 on picks involving Cincinnati, and find out.