The Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders will close out Week 2 of the NFL preseason when they meet on Monday night at Northwest Stadium.
Both teams are expected to play the bulk of their starters in this one, with Cincinnati’s offense possibly playing much of the first half. That means we’ll get a good look at two of the more entertaining quarterbacks in the league with Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels squaring off.
Here are my best Bengals vs. Commanders props and NFL picks for Monday, August 18.
Bengals vs Commanders props
Daniels 8.5 rush yds - HIGHER- Croskey-Merritt 24.5 rush yds - HIGHER
Burrow 0.5 pass TDs - HIGHER
Pick 1: Jayden Daniels 8.5 rushing yards - HIGHER (Play at Underdog)
Jayden Daniels only rushed twice in preseason action last season, yet still managed to pick up 13 yards on the ground against the Dolphins. And with Trey Hendrickson refusing to play for the Cincinnati Bengals until he gets a new deal, I really like Daniels to do some damage with his legs at some point tonight.
Daniels rushed for fewer than 18 yards just once in an NFL game last season, and he ran 12 times for 39 yards against the Bengals on September 23. While I don’t think he’ll take off that often tonight, Cincinnati’s defense struggled mightily last season to contain athletic quarterbacks.
Daniels will not want to take any big hits in the pocket, and if things break down I expect he’ll escape quickly. He’s also going to want to extend drives with his legs when needed, as he’s only going to get about a quarter of play. I won’t be shocked to see him go above this number with just a single attempt.
Pick 2: Jacory Croskey-Merritt 24.5 rushing yards - HIGHER (Play at Underdog)
The Washington Commanders are very intrigued by Jacory Croskey-Merritt, whom they took with a seventh-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. There’s been plenty of buzz around him coming out of camp, so much so that there are multiple reports that the team is now shopping Brian Robinson Jr. on the trade market.
That’s why I expect he will get plenty of carries tonight against the Bengals, whose defense allowed 4.4 yards per carry a season ago despite facing some of the worst rushing attacks in the league. He’s a physical runner who will need to prove to the coaching staff that he’s the right man for the job, and should get close to 10 carries after seven against the Patriots.
The Bengals allowed multiple big runs against the Eagles, with Will Shipley, ShunDerrick Powell, and AJ Dillon all going for at least 5.3 ypc. Croskey-Merritt rushed for 24 yards against New England, and I have little doubt he’ll improve on those numbers.
Pick 3: Joe Burrow 0.5 passing touchdowns - HIGHER (Play at Underdog)
Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes on just 23 attempts when these two teams met a season ago, as he completed 21 throws on the night. That included a 41-yard connection with Ja’Marr Chase in the opening quarter.
Burrow has only played in two preseason games since 2021, and he’s thrown three touchdowns while completing 14 of his 17 pass attempts. He’s shown he doesn’t need much preseason action to be ready for the regular season, but he’s also shown how locked in he is when he does get snaps.
The Commanders allowed the fewest completions of any team in the NFL a season ago, yet their 25 passing touchdowns put them right in the middle of the pack. They were prone to giving up big plays through the passing game, and Burrow needs only one mistake to make them pay.
With him getting multiple series on Monday night, I expect him to look sharp once again and connect on a touchdown pass before he gives way to the backups.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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