Patriots vs. Bengals at Gillette Stadium: What You Need to Know

The New England Patriots return to the confines of Gillette stadium to face the second of three straight NFC North opponents when they host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. After beating Cleveland, 33-13, last week and the Cincinnati game this week, the Patriots will travel to face Pittsburgh on Oct. 23.

The Patriots have won six straight home games vs. the Bengals, with the last loss coming in 1986. The team’s last played on a Sunday Night Football game in 2014 with the Patriots taking a 43-17 win on Oct. 5, 2014.

The Patriots first win in the Kraft era came in Cincinnati against the Bengals on Sept. 18, 1994. After an 0-3 start, New England pulled away with a 31-28 victory.

Here's what you need to know about the game:

Start Time

Kick off from Gillette Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TELEVISION: This week’s game will be broadcast by CBS and can be seen locally on WBZ-TV Channel 4 in Boston. Ian Eagle will handle play-by-play duties with Dan Fouts as the color analyst. Evan Washburn will work the sidelines. The game will be produced by Mark Wolff and directed by Bob Fishman.

NATIONAL RADIO: This week’s game will be broadcast to a national audience on ESPN Radio. Adam Amin and Bill Polian will call the game. Sal Palantonio will work the sidelines.

LOCAL RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis. Produced by Marc Cappello.

Parking and Transportation

Parking lots at Gillette Stadium open at 9 a.m. Parking is $40 for cars and motorcycles and $150 for buses, RVs, and limos. The MBTA will be running trains from Boston and Providence., here's the full train schedule.

Boston Train

• South Station - 10:15 a.m.
• Back Bay - 10:20 a.m.
• Dedham Corp - 10:35 a.m.
• Gillette Stadium - 11:20 a.m.

Rhode Island Train

• TF Green Airport - 10:00 a.m.
• Providence - 10:30 a.m.
• South Attleboro - 10:40 a.m.
• Attleboro - 10:50 a.m.
• Mansfield - 11:00 a.m.
• Gillette Stadium - 11:35 a.m.

Both trains will leave Foxborough 30 minutes after the end of the game. Train tickets are $20 roundtrip.

Arrive Early

With a capacity crowd expected, stadium officials encourage fans to allow themselves plenty of time when traveling near the stadium. Traffic restrictions will be in place on local roads before and after the game. Fans must use I-95 or I-495 to access Route 1 and Gillette Stadium.

Clear Bag Policy and Prohibited Items
Only gallon sized clear freezer bags, clear bags measuring 12" x 12" x 6", women's wristlets or handheld wallets not to exceed 8" x 5" x 2" (approximately the size of a hand), and clear plastic bags carrying only purchases made at the stadium ProShop are allowed in Gillette Stadium.

Please note that bags larger than the permitted size, including purses, shoulder bags, diaper bags and backpacks, will not be allowed inside Gillette Stadium on event days. Further, bags exceeding the permitted size will not be held or stored by the venue and must be returned to a vehicle before entering the stadium. For more information, see the stadium's clear bag policy.
Prohibited items at Gillette Stadium include, but are not limited to: selfie sticks, GoPro cameras, camera bags, umbrellas, coolers, fanny packs, outside food and beverage, balloons or beach balls, noisemakers, signs larger than 11 x 17 and any other items deemed dangerous and/or inappropriate by stadium management. For more information on prohibited items, see the Gillette Stadium prohibited items policy.

Series History

The Patriots and Bengals will meet for the 25th time in team history.

The last time the two teams met was when the Patriots hosted Cincinnati in a Sunday Night football game on Oct. 5, 2014 and came out on the winning side of a 43-17 decision.

New England leads the all-time series by a 15-9 margin in a series that dates back to 1968, including wins in six of the last eight meetings. While New England is 9-2 all-time at home against Cincinnati, including 3-0 at Gillette Stadium, the Bengals are in front, 7-6, in games played at Cincinnati. The Patriots are 2-1 in games played at Paul Brown Stadium.

In 2013, the Patriots traveled to Cincinnati with a 4-0 record and failed to score a touchdown in a 13-6 loss to the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Tom Brady ended a streak of 52 straight games with at least one touchdown pass in the loss to the Bengals, the second longest streak in NFL history. The Bengals win also snapped a four-game winning streak in the series by the Patriots.

The Betting Line

Here are the major betting lines as of Saturday evening via ESPN.

• Westgate: New England +7.5
• PinnacleSports.com: N/A
• BOVADA.lv: New England +9.5
• BETONLINE.ag: New England +8
• SportsBetting.ag: New England +8
• 5Dimes.eu: New England +9

The Expert Picks

• Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times: Patriots
• CBSSports.com: All eight experts pick Patriots
• Peter Schrager, Fox Sports: Patriots 30, Bengals 20
• Chris Burke, Sports Illustrated: Patriots 31, Bengals 17
• ESPN.com: Experts pick Patriots 8-1

Information in this article was provided by Patriots Media Relations.