Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tennessee Titans Betting Pick

NFL AFC Divisional Playoff Preview

Date/Time: Saturday January 22nd, 2022. 4:30 PM (EST)

Where: Nissan Stadium Nashville, TN

TV: CBS

Betting Odds:

Point Spread: CIN +3.5/TEN -3.5 (Find the best sportsbooks >>> Grab a 100% real cash bonus or bet on games at reduced odds! Don’t settle for anything less!)

Total: 47

LastSaturday, the Cincinnati Bengals secured their first playoff win in more than 30 years and perhaps lifted the “Curse of Bo Jackson” with a 26-19 victory over the Raiders. The Bengals have now won four of their last five games and are quickly becoming one of the Cinderella stories in the AFC. With last week’s victory, Cincinnati has earned a ticket to Nashville for an AFC Divisional showdown with the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Despite owning the #1 seed in the AFC, the Titans will be mere 3.5 point favorites when they host the surging Bengals in a game that will have an AFC Championship ticket on the line.

Unlike the Bengals, the Titans received some needed rest last week with their first-round bye. Despite owning the AFC’s best record, the Titans have suffered through numerous injury issues throughout the year. In fact, the Titans’ biggest playmakers on the offensive side of the football in RB Derrick Henry, WR AJ Brown, and WR Julio Jones have all missed considerable playing time this season. Henry was expected to miss the season after suffering a fractured foot back in week 9. At the time, the loss of Tennessee’s all-world workhorse appeared to diminish most expectations of another Titans playoff run. Despite initial struggles in Henry’s absence, the Titans closed out the season by winning 4 of their last five games and may have the opportunity to get their biggest playmaker back just in time for Saturday’s clash
with the Bengals.

RB Derrick Henry to return against Cincinnati

RB Derrick Henry has missed nine games since suffering a fractured foot that required surgery at the end of October. Once thought to be done for the season, Tennessee has officially designated Henry to return from the Injured Reserve. Henry was actually designated to return to practice back on January 5th and has participated in low-impact activities. Head Coach Mike Vrabel spoke publicly about the importance of this week’s practices for Henry in getting him ready for return. Despite the fact no official move has been declared, the expectation is that Henry will be activated by game time and make a surprising return from a foot injury that was once perceived to be season-ending.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tennessee Titans
Betting Analysis

Personally, I believe Henry’s return is needed
for Tennessee, but it could also be costly. If Henry is not completely healed and is rushing to return, it could be counter-productive in the same sense that we have seen from RB Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas this season. If Henry is truly 100%, it will be an extreme boost to a Titans offense that has been very inconsistent. Most importantly, the Titans have routinely leaned on Henry in a huge capacity during the playoffs with a physical run game. If they are able to conduct a physical run game, it would greatly help their
playoff chances.

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If Tennessee is unable to run the ball or Henry is not as effective as most would expect, this game will favor Cincinnati in every other scenario. No disrespect to the Titans passing game. QB Ryan Tannehill has serviceable weapons and is capable of performing well. However, the Titans are not performing at the level of Cincinnati’s offense if this match-up produces a high pace and/or an abundance of offensive opportunities. Bengals QB Joe Burrow has been the hottest quarterback in the NFL in the last few weeks, and I would label Cincinnati’s receiving corpsas among the best in the NFL with sensational young talents in Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins.

If the Titans are unable to control the clock
and possessions with the ground game, the Bengals have the weapons to take control of this game, with each opportunity being more dangerous for Tennessee. Perhaps the bigger concern for Cincinnati is the defensive line, where they will be tasked with stopping the run. Last week, Bengals starting DT Larry Ogunbi suffered a right leg injury and will miss the remainder of the season. Fellow DT Josh Tupou was already lost with a knee injury, and DE Trey Hendrickson is currently in the concussion protocol. The injury concerns along the defensive front cannot be overlooked heading into Saturday’s match-up against the Titans and are worth monitoring closer to game time.

Jay’s Pick: I really like Cincinnati’s momentum however the match-up
favors Tennessee, and I think the Titans defense is being slept on. If Derrick Henry indeed suits up and plays to par, this game favors Tennessee. Keep an eye on the injury updates and if nothing changes with our current expectations, take Tennessee -3.5. Bet your Divisional Playoffs picks for FREE by taking advantage of a 100% REAL CASH bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $1000 at Betnow Sportsbook!