Wk 16 · 2026
Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts — Sun, Dec 27
Sun, Dec 27 ·
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Weather
This one is played indoors. There is nothing to forecast.
AFC North · 3-2
at
TBDET
CIN -1.5 · total 52.5 DraftKings
Ratings differential IND by 0.1
AFC South · 2-3
What is at stake
An AFC game between two divisions. It decides neither division, but conference record is the tiebreaker that follows head-to-head, and both of these are chasing the same 7 AFC playoff places. Division standings. Flex Game: 12/26 or 12/27.
What the ratings imply
The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers:
The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus
1.7 points of home field.
It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site
compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026
games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have
been through a draft and a free-agency window since.
Efficiency · 2026 ratings
Efficiency margin
Offense
Defense
Points / game
Points allowed / game
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.
Team stats
The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.
Bengals form
W 31-24at MIAL 17-22vs JAXL 27-30at PITW 20-6at HOUW 33-27vs TB
2026 season
Colts form
L 22-34at PITW 30-13at WSHW 19-17vs HOUL 30-33at KCL 23-41vs BAL
2026 season
Bengals this season
Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Against the spread2-2-1 · 50% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Colts this season
Straight up2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Against the spread3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.
Common opponents · 9
| Opponent | Bengals | Colts |
|---|---|---|
| Texans AFC | at W 20-6 preview | vs W 19-17 preview |
| Steelers AFC | at L 27-30 preview | at L 22-34 preview |
| Jaguars AFC | vs L 17-22 preview | at Wk 8 · scheduled preview |
| Dolphins AFC | at W 31-24 preview | vs Wk 10 · scheduled preview |
| Ravens AFC | at Wk 7 · scheduled preview | vs L 23-41 preview |
| Titans AFC | vs Wk 8 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 6 · scheduled preview |
| Commanders NFC | at Wk 11 · scheduled preview | N W 30-13 preview |
| Browns AFC | at Wk 13 · scheduled preview | at Wk 17 · scheduled preview |
| Chiefs AFC | vs Wk 14 · scheduled preview | at L 30-33 preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Colts leads 6–5 · Bengals won the last one
11 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
4.3 points toward Colts
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2023-12-10 | Colts 14 — 34 Bengals | at CIN | Bengals |
| 2020 | 2020-10-18 | Bengals 27 — 31 Colts | at IND | Colts |
| 2018 | 2018-09-09 | Bengals 34 — 23 Colts | at IND | Bengals |
| 2017 | 2017-10-29 | Colts 23 — 24 Bengals | at CIN | Bengals |
| 2014 | 2015-01-04 | Bengals 10 — 26 Colts | at IND | Colts playoffs |
| 2014 | 2014-10-19 | Bengals 0 — 27 Colts | at IND | Colts |
| 2013 | 2013-12-08 | Colts 28 — 42 Bengals | at CIN | Bengals |
| 2011 | 2011-10-16 | Colts 17 — 27 Bengals | at CIN | Bengals |
| 2010 | 2010-11-14 | Bengals 17 — 23 Colts | at IND | Colts |
| 2008 | 2008-12-07 | Bengals 3 — 35 Colts | at IND | Colts |
| 2006 | 2006-12-18 | Bengals 16 — 34 Colts | at IND | Colts |
Bengals leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Joe Burrow QB #9 | 112/157, 1171 YDS, 7 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Chase Brown RB #30 | 58 CAR, 207 YDS, 1 TD |
| Samaje Perine RB #34 | 13 CAR, 42 YDS | |
| Joe Burrow QB #9 | 11 CAR, 38 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Tee Higgins WR #5 | 25 REC, 401 YDS, 1 TD |
| Ja'Marr Chase WR #1 | 21 REC, 212 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Mike Gesicki TE #88 | 11 REC, 155 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Dohnte Meyers WR #81 | 11 REC, 129 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Demetrius Knight Jr. LB #44 | 34 |
| Barrett Carter LB #49 | 30 | |
| Jordan Battle S #27 | 27 | |
| Sacks | Dexter Lawrence II DT #97 | 3 |
| Jonathan Allen DT #93 | 2 | |
| Boye Mafe DE #53 | 2 | |
| Interceptions | Jordan Battle S #27 | 1 |
Colts leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Daniel Jones QB #17 | 84/132, 754 YDS, 3 TD, 4 INT |
| Rushing | Jonathan Taylor RB #28 | 86 CAR, 353 YDS, 6 TD |
| Seth McGowan RB #20 | 12 CAR, 45 YDS | |
| Daniel Jones QB #17 | 11 CAR, 21 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Josh Downs WR #2 | 17 REC, 202 YDS |
| Tyler Warren TE #84 | 23 REC, 130 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Laquon Treadwell WR #13 | 9 REC, 123 YDS | |
| Keenan Allen WR #10 | 13 REC, 100 YDS, 1 TD |
Defense
| Tackles | Akeem Davis-Gaither LB #51 | 37 |
| Justin Walley CB #27 | 22 | |
| Bryce Boettcher LB #50 | 20 | |
| Sacks | DeForest Buckner DT #99 | 3 |
| Adetomiwa Adebawore DT #95 | 2 | |
| Jerry Tillery DT #94 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Jaylon Carlies LB #57 | 1 |
These are regular-season totals for
the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year,
taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's
roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still
appears against the year he earned it; the
roster
pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is.
A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.