Cincinnati Bengals vs New England Patriots NFL Preview: Team news, betting, tickets, live stream, Fantasy Football and more

The New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals collide Sunday at Paycor Stadium, and the two clubs could not be trending in more opposite directions.

The Patriots have been one of the shock stories of the 2025 season. Drake Maye hasn't just looked the part; he's performing like a full-fledged QB1, steering New England to the top of the AFC East with maturity well beyond his years. Sitting pretty at 9-2, the Pats have covered the Week 12 number in three of their last five outings and are fresh off a 27-14 dismantling of the Jets on Thursday night.

The Bengals, meanwhile, are stuck in a rut and sinking fast. With Joe Burrow still out of the picture, Cincinnati has dropped three straight, most recently getting run out of the building in a 34-12 thumping by the Steelers in Week 11.

And no matter how much vintage magic Joe Flacco can conjure in short bursts, this Bengals attack simply doesn't have the firepower to keep pace with New England's scoring machine. Maye has an arsenal of playmakers and a green light to slice up a defense that has cratered to the bottom of the league.

Cincinnati Bengals vs New England Patriots kick-off time

NFL

Paycor Stadium

The Bengals and the Patriots will meet in Week 12 of the NFL season at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday, November 23, starting at 1:00 pm ET / 10:00 am PT for fans in the US.

Team news & squads

Cincinnati Bengals team news

The Bengals may finally be getting the spark they've desperately missed. Wednesday's injury report listed Joe Burrow as a full participant in practice, a massive development that suddenly cracks open the door for the franchise quarterback to suit up against New England on Sunday. It would mark his first game action since Week 2, when a nasty turf toe injury forced him into surgery and onto the shelf for nearly the entire season. Cincinnati's offense hasn't looked the same without him, and his possible return instantly flips the storyline for this matchup.

Cincinnati enter this matchup licking their wounds after a rough stretch. Their most recent outing ended in a 34-12 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Joe Flacco threw for 199 yards with a touchdown and a pick. A week earlier, they were on the wrong end of a 47-42 shootout against the Chicago Bears, despite Flacco lighting up the stat sheet with 470 yards and four touchdowns, offset by two costly interceptions. 

Tee Higgins was a bright spot in that thriller, racking up 121 yards and a pair of scores. The Bengals' injury report adds another layer of uncertainty, Joe Burrow is still working his way back from a toe issue, Ja'Marr Chase is serving a one-game suspension, and defensive anchor Trey Hendrickson is questionable with a nagging hip problem. With several other players banged up, Cincinnati enters Week 12 with more questions than answers.

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New England Patriots team news

The Patriots are about as healthy as a team can reasonably hope to be in late November. Not a single player sat out Wednesday's session, and three starters who missed last Thursday's game, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, linebacker Christian Elliss, and running back Rhamondre Stevenson, were all back on the field. For a team still clawing for momentum, that’s as clean an injury report as you’ll ever see.

New England roll into Week 12 riding a wave of momentum, stringing together a series of victories that have showcased their growing confidence. Their latest triumph came in a 27-14 win over the New York Jets, where Drake Maye steered the offense with 281 passing yards and TreVeyon Henderson punched in a pair of rushing touchdowns to seal the result. 

Maye has been nothing short of sensational this season, sitting atop the NFL charts with 2,836 passing yards and piling up 20 touchdown throws, while Stefon Diggs continues to be his go-to weapon with 659 receiving yards. Still, New England aren't without setbacks, key contributors like Antonio Gibson and Marcellas Dial Jr. remain on season-ending IR, forcing the Patriots to lean on their depth to keep the train moving.

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Watch and live stream Bengals vs Patriots in the USA

The Bengals vs Patriots game in Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season will be broadcast live on CBS. If you've cut the cord, fans can also catch the coverage onParamount+ and Fubo (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 Patriots 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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How to buy Bengals vs Patriots tickets

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 Patriots Fantasy Football

Joe Flacco (16.1 projected W12 fpts) opened the day with a sharp strike to Tee Higgins (10.1 projected W12 fpts) in the first quarter, but that early spark fizzled fast. The veteran quarterback spent the rest of the afternoon stuck in neutral, capped off by a brutal pick-six, and now he'll be desperate to right the ship when the Bengals square off with the Patriots next week.

Meanwhile, Chase Brown has been fantasy gold recently, ripping off four straight 100-yard outings and looking every bit like a league-winner. But this week? This week is a brick wall. The Patriots aren't just good against the run, they're flat-out suffocating. New England is giving up a microscopic 58 rushing yards per game to opposing running backs, a full step ahead of Jacksonville's 66. They've also surrendered a league-low 0.2 rushing touchdowns per game to the position. In other words: don’t expect open lanes.

With Ja'Marr Chase suspended, Cincinnati may have no choice but to feature Brown more as a receiving option, and if you're relying on him in fantasy, you better cross your fingers and hope that's the plan. Because running into this Patriots front seven is basically running into a concrete wall.

Tee Higgins (10.1 projected W12 fpts) was the lone bright spot for the Bengals offense, hauling in Cincinnati's only touchdown, his fourth straight game finding the end zone as he continues to play like a WR1.

On the flip side, it looks like New England may have finally struck quarterback gold. Drake Maye has kicked the franchise door wide open with a sensational rookie campaign. He leads the NFL with 2,836 passing yards through 11 games, a full 145 yards clear of Justin Herbert, and his 20 touchdowns to just five interceptions have him sitting on an outrageous 113.2 passer rating, easily the best in the league.

Fresh off tossing for 281 yards against the Jets, Maye now gets the Bengals defense, an outfit that has been shredded weekly and ranks dead last in passing yards allowed at 261.7 per game. Cincinnati's numbers looked slightly better after Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph combined for only 143 last week, but let's be honest: that feels like a blip, not a trend. It’s hard to see Maye slowing down here.

New England's reinforcements at receiver have also been worth every penny. Stefon Diggs has slotted into this offense with ease, leading the Patriots with 659 yards on 59 grabs. His 71 targets sit inside the league's top 20, and his 82.5 PFF grade shows he’s still operating at a Pro Bowl level.

And while Diggs has been the steady chain-mover, Kayshon Boutte has emerged as the downfield sledgehammer. Averaging a blistering 18.7 yards per catch, seventh-best among receivers with at least 10 targets, Boutte has become Maye's big-play specialist and already leads the team with five touchdowns. Veteran tight end Hunter Henry isn't far behind with four of his own.

Bengals vs Patriots Game Predictions

There's a scenario in which Joe Flacco keeps this contest within a single score, especially with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins capable of winning their individual battles against Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, the latter giving up a 105.2 opponent QB rating in coverage. Losing defensive tackle Milton Williams for Week 12 certainly doesn't do New England's front any favors, either. 

Still, rookie quarterback Drake Maye and this Patriots offense should carve up a defense that has been torched since Week 3, surrendering 254.3 passing yards, 2.6 passing touchdowns per game, and a hefty 8.1 yards per attempt. At this point, New England's road form speaks for itself, a spotless 5-0 record away from Foxborough.

Bengals vs Patriots Betting Odds

Spread

Patriots -7 (-110)

Bengals +7 (-110)

Moneyline

Patriots: -340

Bengals: +270

Total

50.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Form

Head-to-Head Record

CIN

Last 5 matches

NE

1

Win

0

Draws

4

Wins

• Cincinnati Bengals

  10

  -

  16

  New England Patriots

• New England Patriots

  18

  -

  22

  Cincinnati Bengals

• Cincinnati Bengals

  13

  -

  34

  New England Patriots

• New England Patriots

  35

  -

  17

  Cincinnati Bengals

• New England Patriots

  43

  -

  17

  Cincinnati Bengals

Useful links

• Bengals 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• Patriots 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)