Cincinnati Bengals vs New England Patriots

Merry Clinchmas, Cincinnati Bengals fans? Here is my weekly Bengals prediction:

NFL prediction: Cincinnati Bengals (10-4) at New England Patriots (7-7), Saturday, 1 p.m., CBS

Tricky game for the Bengals, who’ve won six straight and seem unstoppable.

Late December on the road against a Bill Belichick team that’s fighting for a playoff spot. The Patriots currently are the first team out of the playoffs. That might be enough motivation for New England, which has lost three of its last four.

Will the Patriots be extra motivated after they gifted Las Vegas a win last week on an all-time boneheaded lateral play as time expired? It was uncharacteristic of the Patriots Way, and Belichick undoubtedly has spent the week refocusing his team on not making self-inflicted mistakes.

The Bengals also have reasons to be motivated. They can clinch a playoff spot with a win, which would keep them atop the AFC North and still in the running for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. To attain the top seed, the Bengals will have to win out and hope for Kansas City to lose a game.

Cincinnati will face one of the better defensive teams on its schedule. The Patriots are ranked sixth in the NFL in total defense, allowing 312.3 yards per game. It’ll be the Bengals’ second straight week to face a top-10 defense after Burrow and the Bengals carved up Tampa Bay in the second half of last Sunday’s 11-point win.

Betting against Belichick in this situation is risky. Some might call this a trap game for the Bengals, who close out the season against Buffalo and division rival Baltimore.