49ers vs. Bengals Total Pick

San Francisco 49ers (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS)
Where: NFL Football Week 2
Date/Time: Sunday September 15th, 2019. 1:00PM (EST)
Where: Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, O.H.
TV: FOX

Point Spread:SF +1.5/CIN -1.5 (Bookmaker)
Over/Under Total: 45

Week 2 action in the NFL heats up on Sunday with an intriguing match-up in Cincinnati when the Bengals host the San Francisco 49ers at Paul Brown Stadium. Last week, the Bengals let one slip away suffering a 21-20 loss in Seattle despite the fact that quarterback Andy Dalton threw for a career-high mark of 418 passing yards. Meanwhile, the 49ers scored their 1st victory of the season with a 31-17 thumping over the Buccaneers and are looking to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2012. The high scoring totals from Week 1 and flashy performance from the Bengals offense will be fresh on everyone’s minds. That said, I think we should be prepared for a different game script on Sunday that will put some downward pressure on the total. Let’s discuss why the ‘under’ looks very appetizing!

49ers vs. Bengals Injury Updates

Both the 49ers and Bengals suffered a few key injuries last week which will cause some impacts on the offensive side of the football. San Francisco lost starting tailback Tevin Coleman in the first half of last week’s win over Tampa Bay. Coleman suffered a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss several weeks. Considering Jerick McKinnon suffered a setback in the preseason, Matt Breida will now take over the starting role, and Raheem Mostert likely gets the bulk of the back up/3rd down duties. Meanwhile, the Bengals also suffered a setback at the running back position with starting rusher Joe Mixon. Mixon also sustained an ankle injury in his season debut last week. The good news for the Bengals starting tailback is that the MRI came back negative and he is officially listed as questionable. While that sounds good, I believe Mixon’s prognosis for week two would likely be optimistic. Bettors should stay updated on his status throughout the week because he definitely makes Cincinnati’s offense better when he is in the game.

Lingering concerns on offense

I know things change from week to week in the realm of performance, match-ups, and game scripts. However, I think it is safe to say that both offenses in this game have legitimate lingering concerns. Despite Andy Dalton’s career day last week that featured multiple big-play hook-ups to WR John Ross III. Note that the Bengals still only managed 21 points on the scoreboard. The reason that should be worrisome is that the match-up will be much tougher this week against the 49ers corners that include Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon. Everyone knew Seattle had some weaknesses in their pass defense going into the season and the Bengals did an excellent job of attacking. However, Dalton and the Bengals offense will not get that same luxury this week. If you consider the Bengals were only able to muster 34 yards on the ground last week, then you have some significant concerns pertaining to where the yards will be gained in week 2 with a backup tailback.

While Cincinnati at least has some confidence from the Week 1 offensive performance, the same cannot be said for the 49ers. In fact, things were pretty ugly last week against a rather mediocre Tampa defense. QB Jimmy Garoppolo looked extremely rusty completing just 18 of 27 passing for one touchdown and one interception. The backfield which featured Coleman, Breida, and Mostert combined for only 3.1 yards per carry. Honestly, if you look back at the game, Garoppolo received the bulk of the criticism for the passing inefficiency however the 49ers receivers were having trouble creating space as well. Overall, it was a pretty ugly performance. The best way I can explain my skepticism towards massive improvement in Week 2 is by saying this; the 49ers did not simply miss opportunities last week on offense, but instead, there just were not many opportunities created. Therefore, I think we will see some of those same struggles continue in the short term.

Jay’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: Under 45