2003 · Week 1

Final

Broncos

Denver

QB Jake Plummer

30·10

Bengals

Cincinnati

QB Jon Kitna

Paul Brown Stadium · outdoors · grass · 72°F · wind 6mph

Closing spread

DEN -6

Total

43.5

Model margin

+1.5est.

CIN perspective

Push chance

2.8%est.

the line sits on a key number

Win probability

  • Bengals
  • Broncos

How each play moved the game.

Bengals winsBroncos wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Broncosedge mapBengals
  • +0.045EPA / play+0.049
  • 44.6%Success rate43.9%
  • +0.043EPA / dropback+0.126
  • +0.047EPA / rush-0.053
  • 8.6%Explosive rate7.6%
  • 39.9%Third-down rate44.6%
  • 57.7%Red-zone TD rate62.0%
  • 1.96Points / drive1.83
  • 2.0%Turnover rate1.9%
  • -0.073EPA / play allowed+0.077

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

DEN lead 9–6 since 1999

Meetings average 41.3 points. CIN are 9-6 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W4CIN @ DEN328DEN
2024 · W17DEN @ CIN2430CIN
2021 · W15CIN @ DEN1510CIN
2018 · W13DEN @ CIN2410DEN
2017 · W11CIN @ DEN2017CIN
2016 · W3DEN @ CIN2917DEN
2015 · W16CIN @ DEN1720DEN
2014 · W16DEN @ CIN2837CIN

Box score

Individual performances

Broncos

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Jake Plummer12/2511503

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Clinton Portis241205.02
Rod Smith3237.70
Mike Anderson7152.10
Ashley Lelie2126.00
Steve Beuerlein177.00
Jake Plummer372.30

Bengals

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Jon Kitna20/3726412

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Corey Dillon14342.40
Peter Warrick2115.50
Jon Kitna351.70
Brandon Bennett310.30

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line -64.2%2.8%7.1%7.5%3.0%4.6%

Positive margins favour Bengals; negative favour Broncos.

Half-point at risk

2.78%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

53.2%

Expected total

47.0est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-1.03
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+1.54