3:10 p.m. ET: Derrick Henry is active
Derrick Henry is officially active for the Titans, as expected. That’s a huge boost for Tennessee, especially for its offense.
Neither team has any surprise inactives. The game starts in just over an hour. Make sure to keep following us for updates!
3 pm ET — Welcome to the Divisional Round!
The first of four NFL playoff matchups begins Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
Tennessee is a 4 point favorite in SI Sportsbook, and the game has an over/under of 48.5. SI Betting previewed this game and offered the best bet.
This should be a fascinating matchup, especially with the Titans welcoming superstar running back Derrick Henry to the lineup. Tennessee activated Henry from injured reserve on Friday, putting him in position to play.
Henry hasn’t played since Week 8 with a broken foot and his importance to this offense cannot be understated. While the value of running backs in the league seems to have dwindled, Henry is the piece that makes the Titans capable of beating anyone. He had 937 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns before his injury and played a pivotal role in Tennessee’s wins over the Bills and Chiefs earlier in the year.
There are obviously questions about how much work Henry will receive upon his return and how effective he will be after such a long break. But his return should help AJ Brown and Julio Jones, as the Bengals will have to focus more on stopping the run than if the Titans relied on secondary options like D’Onta Foreman.
Henry has a -188 chance of scoring a touchdown on Saturday.
While Cincinnati is strong against the run, ranking fifth in rushing yards allowed per game, losing starting defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi is a huge blow. The Bengals finished 26the in passing yards allowed per game, so there should be opportunities for Brown and Jones through the air.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s passing yards are 235.5 yards.
Cincinnati enters this game on a high after its first playoff win in 31 years, and is looking to reach the AFC conference championship for the first time since 1988.
Cincinnati’s wide receiver trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd is as good as any in the league, and quarterback Joe Burrow may have to lean on his receivers against a Titans defense that ranks second. rank in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. (84.6).
Chase announced his presence in the wild-card win over the Raiders by catching nine balls for 116 yards, and he could be in line for another big day against a 25th-ranked Titans defense.the in passing yards allowed per game. Chase’s receiving over/under is 6.5 and his receiving support is 80.5 yards, while Higgins supports are sitting at 4.5 receiving and 62.5 yards.
Chase has odds of +115 to score a touchdown, while Higgins has odds of +175.
Burrow’s passing yards over or under are 285.5 yards and running back Joe Mixon’s rushing yards are just 60.5, indicating the Bengals are expected to air him out.
Conor Orr of MMQB is on the spot in Nashville as it will clinch the first of four conference championship spots. Follow us and let’s have fun!
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.