Tennessee Titans vs

Cincinnati Bengals Prediction

Tennessee Titans vs Cincinnati Bengals Prediction

In what looks like a potential mismatch on paper, the Tennessee Titans will pay a Week 8 visit to the Cincinnati Bengals. Kickoff is on Sunday, November 1, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. Early betting odds list the Titans as 5.5-point favorites on the road. Keep reading to take a closer look at both teams and find out our Bengals vs Titans prediction.

Cincinnati Bengals Preview

The wins aren’t coming yet for Cincinnati, but the Bengals are getting closer. Two weekends ago, the Bengals jumped out to a 21-0 lead over the Colts but let the game slip away. Last week, they went back and forth with the Browns, ultimately taking a lead with 66 seconds left. However, the Cincinnati defense failed again to hold the lead, giving up a late touchdown and losing 37-34 to their division rivals. At 1-5-1, the frustration is starting to boil over in Cincinnati and head coach Zac Taylor is no doubt starting to feel like he’s on the hot seat. To make matters worse, their next two games against the Titans and Steelers, teams that have a combined one loss this season.

For what it’s worth, the Cincinnati offense is rolling and any question regarding whether Joe Burrow was the right choice with the top overall pick has been answered. Burrow has completed 66% of his passes this season and is on pace to throw for over 4,000 yards this season. A.J. Green has started to return to form with 15 catches over the past two weeks while rookie Tee Higgins has emerged as a reliable target. However, the offensive line is still struggling to give Joe Mixon much room to operate. The Bengals are also allowing Burrow to be sacked an average of four times per game.

The Cincinnati defense has also been a huge letdown this season. Even when given a lead, the Cincinnati defense has failed to hang on for the win. Since Week 1, the Bengals have allowed at least 23 points in every game and conceded more than 30 points in three of six games. After recording three sacks in the team’s only win against the Jaguars, the Bengals have had a total of two sacks in their last three games. Oddly enough, they’ve been solid against the run. However, Cincy’s lack of a consistent pass rush has left them vulnerable against the pass.

Tennessee Titans Preview

As for the Titans, they are trying to bounce back from their first loss of the season last week against the Steelers. Tennessee nearly rallied from a 27-7 deficit to force overtime. However, Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal in the final minute that could have forced overtime, as the Titans fell 27-24. The good news is that Tennessee remains atop the AFC North standings at 5-1, a game ahead of the Colts, who they will see twice in November.

Despite Sunday’s loss, Ryan Tannehill continues to prove that the Titans were wise to give him a contract extension this past offseason. Tennessee has scored over 30 points in four of six games this year and over 40 points twice. Behind Tannehill, they have a top-5 offense that is averaging over 31 points per game. Of course, Tannehill has the benefit of having Derrick Henry in the backfield. Henry is just two weeks removed from rushing for 212 yards against the Texans. He’s rushed for at least 75 yards in all but one game this season, which means the Tennessee offense can rely on a stable rushing attack most weeks.

Defensively, things aren’t going quite as well for the Titans. They’ve conceded at least 30 points in half of their games, which has put a lot of pressure on the offense. The silver lining is that Tennessee has held teams under 100 yards rushing in three straight games. That was a problem early in the season that appears to be getting better. However, the Titans have no semblance of a pass rush, collecting just seven sacks in six games, leaving their secondary exposed at times.

Full Game Prediction

In a weird way, the 5-1 Titans have a lot in common with the 1-5-1 Bengals. Both teams have received great quarterback play this season while struggling to stop teams defensively because of a subpar pass rush. The difference is that the Titans have found more balance offensively because they have Henry while the Cincinnati offensive line has struggled. That should be enough for the Titans to avoid a letdown and a second straight loss. However, with the way Burrow has played, this game could come down to what team has the ball last.

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