Cincinnati Bengals vs Detroit Lions NFL Preview: Team news, betting, tickets, live stream, Fantasy Football and more

The Detroit Lions (3-1) roll into Paycor Stadium for a Week 5 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals (2-2), and the two squads couldn’t be trending in more opposite directions.

The Bengals are staggering into Week 5, desperate to peel themselves off the canvas after back-to-back humiliations. But instead of a breather, they’re staring down one of the nastiest assignments on the schedule: the Lions rolling into Paycor.

Make no mistake—Detroit isn't just good, they're downright ruthless. This is a team with one of the league's smoothest, most balanced offenses, piloted by a revitalized Jared Goff, who has rediscovered his rhythm in Motown. Add in a punishing ground game that sets up devastating play-action shots, and the Lions look every bit the contender they’ve been hyped up to be.

The Bengals, meanwhile, have been a disaster. Outscored by a jaw-dropping 63 points over the past two weeks, they've been embarrassed by a Carson Wentz-led Vikings squad and a Denver Broncos offense that had its own fans booing it off the field. That’s not just bad—that’s alarming.

Of course, Cincinnati knew they'd be without Joe Burrow in this stretch. But the "next man up" plan with Jake Browning has been a train wreck. Against Minnesota, it was turnovers galore; against Denver, they barely crossed midfield after the opening drive. Either way, it’s been unwatchable football.

And here’s the kicker: those last two games were supposed to be the easy ones in the 12-week gauntlet without Burrow. If Cincinnati can’t get its act together—and fast—Sunday could turn into a nightmare of national-TV embarrassment.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Detroit Lions kick-off time

NFL

Paycor Stadium

The Bengals and the Lions will meet in Week 5 of the NFL season at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday, October 5, starting at 4:25 pm ET.

Team news & squads

Cincinnati Bengals team news

Jake Browning's night in Denver was downright brutal. The Broncos mauled him in a 28-3 beatdown, hammering the Bengals' backup six times and sacking him on three of them. He limped away with a miserable 125 passing yards and zero answers. To make matters worse, Cincinnati's ground game was nonexistent, mustering a pathetic 53 yards on just 15 carries.

Even with the Bengals floundering offensively of late, they still boast a trio of explosive weapons in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown, capable of making defenses pay on any given play.

Tight end Noah Fant (concussion) and defensive end Shemar Stewart (ankle) are both questionable, and, of course, quarterback Joe Burrow (toe) remains on IR, officially ruling him out for the week.

Bengals injury report: Shemar Stewart, DE - Questionable , Noah Fant, TE - Questionable , Joe Burrow, QB - IR , Lucas Patrick, G - IR , Cordell Volson, G - IR

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Detroit Lions team news

There are a few injury question marks to monitor heading into Sunday. Cornerback Terrion Arnold (shoulder), running back Sione Vaki (groin), and linebacker Zach Cunningham (hamstring) are all listed as questionable, while CB D.J. Reed (hamstring) was recently placed on injured reserve and will miss the matchup.

Jared Goff and company have been lighting up the scoreboard like few teams in NFL history, averaging a jaw-dropping 34.2 points per outing—the best mark in the league. But don't let the fireworks fool you: the veteran quarterback has already been dropped 14 times, the second-most sacks of any passer this season. 

Still, Goff has slung it for 929 yards with 9 touchdowns against just 2 picks, leaning heavily on his go-to weapon Amon-Ra St. Brown, who's already hauled in six scores and looks every bit like a man on a mission this fall. On the other side of the ball, Aidan Hutchinson continues to play like a menace, racking up 4 sacks and reminding offenses he’s a one-man wrecking crew.

Lions injury report: Sione Vaki, RB - Questionable , Zach Cunningham, LB - Questionable , Terrion Arnold, CB - Questionable , D.J. Reed, CB - Doubtful , Daniel Thomas, S - IR

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Watch and live stream Bengals vs Lions in the USA

The Bengals vs Lions game in Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season will be broadcast live on FOX. Fans can catch the coverage onFubo (Try for free today!).

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More details on where to watch the game in the United States, including streaming options, will be released soon, so keep an eye out for our dedicated coverage.

Watch and live stream Bengals vs Lions worldwide

For fans outside the U.S. looking to stay plugged into the action,NFL Game Pass on DAZN is the ultimate ticket. It serves up more than 200 regular-season and playoff matchups, complete Super Bowl coverage, plus access to NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and plenty more to keep you locked in all year long.

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To bypass regional restrictions or to access the game if you are travelling abroad, you can watch the action using a Virtual Private Network like ExpressVPN.

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How to buy Bengals vs Lions tickets

The showdown between the Bengals and the Lions is set for Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, a venue that packs in up to 65,515 fans and promises a fiery atmosphere on game day.

Tickets are already up for grabs on StubHub, with entry starting at $386. From there, prices climb through the tiers — $300, $400, $500, $600, $700, $800, $900, $1,000, and stretching all the way into the premium ranges of $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, and topping out at $10,406 for the best seats in the house.

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Bengals vs Lions Fantasy Football

Jared Goff hasn't exactly been lighting up the fantasy scoreboard, he's cracked the top 20 just once all season. To be fair, he's had to square off against a pair of defensive buzzsaws in Green Bay and Cleveland, and in another game Detroit simply leaned on the ground game, punching in four rushing scores and leaving Goff fantasy managers empty-handed.

But this week? This is the kind of matchup you don't overthink. Over the last three games, Cincinnati's defense has been handing out fantasy points like candy: Trevor Lawrence hung 19.2 on them, Carson Wentz chipped in 15.3, and rookie Bo Nix torched them for 25.7. With Detroit projected for close to 30 points, Goff is walking into as clean a setup as you'll find.

The Lions' backfield centerpiece, Jahmyr Gibbs, looks like one of Week 5's crown-jewel plays. Coming off a statement performance and now running into a Bengals front that’s ripe for the picking, he’s locked into RB1 territory. Analysts across the board have him penciled in as a must-start thanks to both his sheer ability and the juicy matchup.

And while Puka Nacua is soaking up all the national fantasy headlines, don’t sleep on Amon-Ra St. Brown (12.6 projected W5 fpts). He's quietly putting up video-game numbers of his own: six touchdowns in four weeks and the league's second-highest reception total. Facing a reeling Bengals defense, he's set up to feast again—and frankly, it almost feels unfair. One of the league's most explosive attacks going up against one of the NFL's biggest defensive liabilities? Good luck, Cincinnati.

As for the Bengals, the Jake Browning experiment has gone off the rails. After two brutal road trips to Minnesota and Denver, he staggered home with QB29 (5.9 points) and QB31 (5.4 points) finishes. He’s barely clinging to QB2 relevance, and while Detroit's secondary is nursing injuries, it's hard to spin optimism here. Browning’s ceiling is low, his floor is in the basement, and his weapons can only do so much to save him.

Bengals vs Lions Game Predictions

Sunday in Cincinnati has all the makings of a lopsided affair when the Bengals (2-2) welcome the red-hot Detroit Lions (3-1).

Without Joe Burrow under center, the Bengals' offense has been downright unwatchable, scratching together just 13 points across their last two outings. Yes, those games came against stout defenses in Denver and Minnesota—but 13 points total? That's offensive malpractice.

The Lions, meanwhile, could be peeking ahead to a possible Super Bowl preview against Kansas City in Week 6. If Dan Campbell's crew jumps out to an early cushion in Cincinnati, don't be surprised if they hit cruise control in the second half. Campbell learned the hard way last season about running his starters into the ground, and this year he’s got bigger goals than padding margins in early October.

For Cincinnati fans holding out hope that their offense will suddenly snap out of it: don't bet on it. The Bengals were a disaster in Denver, mustering only nine first downs, 159 total yards, and three measly points. That's not just bad—it's a disaster.

Divisional matchups with double-digit spreads are one thing, but this isn't that. This is a broken Bengals offense against a Lions team built to punish soft spots. Cincy is lost. Detroit isn’t. Sometimes the simplest analysis is the truest one.

Bengals vs Lions Betting Odds

Spread

Lions -10 (-110)

Bengals +10 (-110)

Moneyline

Lions -500

Bengals +375

Total

OVER 49 (-110)

UNDER 49 (-110)

Form

Head-to-Head Record

CIN

Last 5 matches

DET

4

Wins

0

Draws

1

Win

• Detroit Lions

  11

  -

  34

  Cincinnati Bengals

• Cincinnati Bengals

  26

  -

  17

  Detroit Lions

• Detroit Lions

  14

  -

  30

  Cincinnati Bengals

• Detroit Lions

  24

  -

  27

  Cincinnati Bengals

• Detroit Lions

  34

  -

  3

  Cincinnati Bengals

Useful links

• Bengals 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• Lions 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• How to watch and live stream NFL football for free and without cable
• 2025 fantasy football rankings: Running back (RB) | Wide receiver (WR) | Tight end (TE) | Quarterback (QB)