Saturday afternoon will provide us with a strength-on-strength Divisional round playoff matchup as the Cincinnati Bengals’ high-powered offense will visit the Tennessee Titans and their top-10 defense.
How the Bengals and Titans made it to Divisional round
The Bengals registered their first playoff win in more than 30 years when they defeated the Las Vegas Raiders in the Wild Card round, 26-19. Quarterback Joe Burrow tossed two touchdowns, giving him 10 TDs over his previous three games. The second-year QB hasn’t committed a turnover since Week 13. The Bengals have averaged close to 30 points per over their past four games. Rookie wideout Ja’Marr Chase is another big reason for that success; he racked up 139 yards from scrimmage versus the Raiders and has gained 556 yards in his past four games. That’s even more impressive when you consider that Chase played only nine percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 17.
The Titans, the AFC’s top seed, weathered a bevy of injuries to their offensive skill players this year with a defense that ranks sixth in points allowed and second in rushing yards allowed. Tennessee has given up fewer than 20 points in all but one game since its Week 13 bye. And now the Titans’ offense is about to be as close to full strength as it has been in a long time. That’s because Derrick Henry, the 2020 rushing champion, is expected to play this weekend for the first time since he sustained a broken foot in Week 8. Up to that point, Henry was bullying the league once again with 937 yards and 10 scores on 219 carries.
How to watch Bengals-Titans
Date: Saturday, January 22nd
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Where: Nissan Stadium Nashville, Tennessee
TV channel: CBS
Live stream: CBS Live TV, Paramount+ app on iOS and Google Play, Yahoo! Sports app (free)
Opening odds Bengals vs. Titans
Opening point spread: Titans -3
Opening point total: 47
Opening moneyline: Titans -165, Bengals +145