The undefeated Cincinnati Bengals (8-0) play the Houston Texans (3-5) this week. The NFL’s third-leading receiver, DeAndre Hopkins (870 yards, 6 TDs), will be on display in this contest. It will begin Monday, Nov 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN.
Cincinnati cruised past the Browns 31-10 last week. Tyler Eifert had an outstanding performance in the win, registering five catches for 53 yards and three TDs. Andy Dalton had a big game as well, totaling 234 yards and three TDs through the air. Houston also picked up the win its last game, beating the Titans 20-6. Whitney Mercilus led the Houston defense, totaling six tackles and 3.5 sacks. DeAndre Hopkins also had a big game with 94 yards and a TD on eight receptions.
Cincinnati is a considerable 10-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 47 points.
The Bengals enter the game with records of 8-0 Straight Up (SU) and 7-0-1 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. They come into the game with the league’s fifth-ranked home scoring offense, averaging 29.5 points per home game. Look for Cincinnati to take advantage of an inferior Houston run defense, which ranks 27th in the league with 123.5 rushing yards allowed per game. As for the Cincinnati defense, there are important areas to keep an eye on. The Texans may have a difficult time running against the Bengals. The Texans average 87.9 yards per game on the ground, 29th in the NFL. A vital part of the game will be if the Texans can protect their quarterback from Cincinnati’s vicious defense. It averages the fifth-most sacks in the league with 2.9 per game. The Bengals make it hard on their opponents right from the start, averaging 7.4 points in the first 15 minutes. On special teams, Houston may give up some big plays to the Bengals in the return game. The Texans have allowed 102.2 return yards per game, making them one of the worst in the NFL.
As for their opponent, the Texans have a record of 3-5 for both ATS and SU. In the previous five games, Houston has a record of 2-3 for both SU and ATS. Cincinnati’s defensive backs will want to be ready for their opponent’s passing attack. The Texans average 297.6 yards through the air over their past five games. The Texans close out games well. They average 11 points in the final quarter, more than any other team in the league.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cin, ATS Winner – Cin, O/U – Under
Notes
Cincinnati is 7-0-1 ATS in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati’s last 6 games.
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Cincinnati is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cincinnati’s last 10 games at home.
Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston.
Houston is 2-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Cincinnati is 6-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Remarkably, Houston is winless (0-3 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (2-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
Cincinnati has drawn an average of 8.1 penalties on opponents this season. Houston is only 1-2 SU when penalized at least eight times in a game.
Cincinnati is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 11th-ranked rushing attack will face the 27th-ranked run defense of Houston, while its 14th-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 29th-ranked run game of the Texans.
