The Cincinnati Bengals face the Tennessee Titans in the AFC divisional playoffs on Saturday.
Game time is scheduled for 4:30 pm at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will be televised on CBS and broadcast by Paramount.
Cincinnati is an annoying fashion choice. The Bengals beat the Raiders 23-16 in the AFC wild-card round, snapping a 31-year postseason win drought under coach Zac Taylor. Now second-year quarterback Joe Burrow is trying to lead Cincinnati to its first AFC championship since 1988.
The Titans are the top seed in the AFC and 3.5-point favorites at home. Running back Derrick Henry, who suffered a broken foot in Week 8, could make his long-awaited return with Tennessee in this matchup. Coach Mike Vrabel is trying to get the Titans back in the AFC championship game for the second time in three seasons.
It’s a fun matchup to kick off the divisional round. Here you will find everything you need to know about betting on Bengals vs. Titans in the 2022 NFL playoffs, including updated odds, trends, and our prediction for the divisional playoff matchup:
DIVISIONAL ROUND SELECTIONS: Against the spread | straight up
Bengals odds vs. Titans for the NFL playoff game
- Spread: Titans -3.5
- Below: 47
- money line: Titans -180, Bengals +152
The line opened between 2.5 and 3.0 points in most books, but is up half a point. The Titans are 5-2 S/U and 4-3 ATS when favored by single digits in 2021.
(Betting Odds by FanDuel Sportsbook)
All-time series Bengals vs. titans
The Bengals-Titans series dates back to the Houston Oilers rivalry in the AFL, and the Titans lead that series 40-35-1. The franchises have played 19 games since moving to Tennessee, and the Titans have a 12-7 lead in those games. Cincinnati won the last meeting 31-20 on November 1, 2020.
Three Trends to Know
—Cincinnati is 6-3 ATS and 5-4 S/U as an underdog this season. The Bengals have won S/U in Burrow’s last four starts, including the playoff win against Las Vegas.
—Cincinnati is 0-6 in road playoff games in franchise history. That would be another impressive first if Bengals coach Zac Taylor and Burrow can end that streak.
—The Titans are 14-7 S/U as local favorites under Mike Vrabel, but are 10-11 ATS in those games. Tennessee is 3-2 in home playoff games since moving from Houston.
three things to see
Derrick Henry’s workload
If Henry does come back, how will the Titans handle his carries? Tennessee ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing without Henry through the middle of the season, and D’Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard have been viable backup options in his absence. None of those running backs are game-changers like Henry, though, and Cincinnati has a top-10 rushing defense that allowed just 102.5 rushing yards per game in 2021. That running game will take the pressure off Ryan Tannehill in the passing game.
Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase
What can the Titans do to stop what is becoming one of the best receiving and passing connections in the NFL? In Burrow’s last three starts against Baltimore, Kansas City and Las Vegas, Chase has 27 receptions on 34 targets for 517 yards; an average of 19.1 yards per catch. That’s a major stress point for Tennessee’s defense. How will Tennessee defensive coordinator Shane Bowen adjust coverage on Chase, especially on third down? Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins combined for five catches for 36 yards against the Raiders. How much will Burrow point to everyone else?
Who gets the pressure?
Burrow has taken multiple sacks in all but four games this season, and that’s something Tennessee needs to take advantage of. Harold Landry had 12.5 sacks this season, and defensive ends Denico Autry (9 sacks) and Jeffrey Simmons (8.5 sacks) can generate that pressure from the inside. Meanwhile, Cincinnati might be without Trey Hendrickson (14 sacks), who is in concussion protocol. Larry Ogunjobi (7 sacks) is already out with a foot injury. That puts pressure on Sam Hubbard (7.5 sacks) to have an impact from the rim.
Statistics that matter
The Bengals were even in turnover ratio throughout the season and didn’t turn the ball over in their last five games. Tennessee was -3 on the season, but is 7-0 in games in which they force at least two turnovers in 2021. If one of these teams commits multiple turnovers, that will likely decide the outcome.
Bengals vs. Prediction titans
The Bengals are without a doubt the hot team here. Burrow had 249 yards and a pair of TDs in Cincinnati’s regular-season win against Tennessee last season, and if the Bengals can get off to a good start and keep the Titans from controlling the pace, then it could get interesting. Henry is still the X factor, but the Bengals have been solid enough defensively to pull off an upset. It all comes down to that Burrow-Chase connection. In the clutch, will that be enough for Burrow to lead the game-winning offense? We think they will, especially if they continue to play error-free football.
Final score: Bengals 27, Titans 24
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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.