After winning their first playoff game in 31 years last week, the Cincinnati Bengals’ next adventure is a trip to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans. Cincinnati took the AFC North title and followed that up with a 26-19 win over Las Vegas in the wild card round. The Titans won the AFC South with a 12-5 record and hold the conference’s top seed. The teams have not met since last season, when Cincinnati won, 31-20.
Can the Bengals continue their exciting run, or will the Titans take care of playoff business at home? Check out our NFL betting preview.
NFL Divisional Preview (Saturday, January 22)
Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans
When: Saturday, January 22, 2022, 4:30 pm ET
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville
TV: CBS
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Hulu
NFL Odds: Tennessee -3.5 / O/U 47.5 // Cincinnati +160 / Tennessee -190
Why should you bet on the Bengals?
Cincinnati did well on the road this year, posting a 5-3 record away from Paul Brown Stadium. They have finished the season on a high note, winning four of their last five, with the only setback coming against Cleveland – a game in which neither Joe Burrow nor Joe Mixon played. Against the Raiders, Burrow put up solid numbers, throwing for 244 yards and two scores. In his last three games, Burrow has ten touchdown passes without an interception; for the season, that ratio is 34:14.
The running game could struggle a bit for Cincinnati, as the Titans have a stout running defense. Joe Mixon did pick up 1,205 yards on the season but only managed 48 yards against the Raiders, who also have a solid front seven. That will put more pressure on Burrow to keep moving the sticks and sustain drives. Burrow had a hard time guiding the Bengals into the end zone last week, as the team had to settle for four field goals. He will be looking for Ja’Marr Chase, who had 116 receiving yards a year ago, and Chase and Tee Higgins should have room to operate given the struggles that Tennessee has had stopping the pass. The Bengals’ defense is similar – strong against the run (fifth in the NFL) but iffy against the pass (26th). They will have to operate without Larry Ogunjbi, who went on IR. Overall, this is an aggressive and opportunistic unit that will grab takeaways if the Titans are not careful.
Why should you put your money on the Titans?
Tennessee gets the benefit of a bye week plus the return of tailback Derrick Henry, who only played eight games this season before departing with a foot injury. He ran for 937 yards in those eight games and was the league leader in rushing yards before he went on IR. It remains to be seen how close to 100% Henry will be, but he has cleared contact drills. D’Onta Foreman can also pound the ball, as he had 566 yards on the season, but the team will be much more formidable if Henry is back. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has a 21:14 TD:INT ratio but has not thrown a pick in three straight games. This is a run-first offense that uses its bruising capacity to soften up defenses for the occasional pass.
The Titans won three in a row to finish the regular season, including a big 20-17 win over San Francisco. The defense can pressure the passer but will give up yards down the field, coming in 25th in passing defense. The rush defense was second in the NFL, and they only permitted 20.8 points per game, sixth in the league.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
Cincinnati is set up for success here, thanks to the terrific work that Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have done in setting up the passing offense. The Bengals are seventh in the league in passing yards, and they should take advantage of that Tennessee secondary. The Bengals do well stopping the run, and while Derrick Henry has been tough for anyone to stop, we don’t know how durable he will be returning from injury. I predict a final score of Cincinnati 27, Tennessee 23.
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Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans Betting Odds
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