The first divisional round game this weekend is the Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans on Saturday afternoon.
This has the makings to be a great game. On one hand we have Joe Burrow, taking that leap to the next tier of great quarterbacks, aided by an elite group of receivers.
On the other, the top-seeded Titans, who don’t have the respect you may expect for a No. 1 seed. Star running back Derrick Henry is officially active after fracturing his foot in Week 8, a huge jolt for this offense.
We have a Same Game Parlay (SGP) for the game based on our expected game flow. Consider this option, or add legs that stick out to you for your own SGP. This particular parlay is constructed using odds from FanDuel.
Bengals vs Titans SGP: +213 on FD
Before we break down each of the legs of this parlay, let’s look at it on the whole.
The SGP:
–Derrick Henry TD
–Joe Burrow 250+ passing yards
–Cincinnati Bengals +10.5
At +213, we need just three legs for this to hit. You could add more, such as Derrick Henry’s rushing yards or a yardage over for a Bengals’ receiver, both of which are solid options in this game. I’m aiming for simplicity when hoping to hit these parlays and limiting to three legs.
Derrick Henry TD
Henry to find the end zone – something he has certainly displayed a knack for – seems logical. In eight games this season, Henry scored 10 times.
The Bengals rushing defense isn’t necessarily a major strength, and reports suggest Henry will be the starter and handle his full workload.
I tend to gravitate toward the best players in playoff games. This is the third straight year Tennessee finds themself in the postseason. Henry was stifled last year, with the Titans losing their lone game.
In 2019, when this team made a run to the AFC Championship Game, Henry ran for 148.7 yards per game and scored twice.
The Titans know how important Henry is to their success, and he’ll surely get the football should they get in the red zone.
Joe Burrow 250+ Passing Yards
This is an alternative line for Burrow’s passing over, with his standard over/under set at 278.5 yards.
We buy 29 extra yards in this scenario to give ourselves some breathing room, but I believe Burrow is in for a monster game.
Tennessee’s run defense is quite stout while their secondary has had issues slowing down receivers all season.
Burrow is averaging nearly 40 passes per game in his past three games, and with a run game potentially shut down, he’ll have to continue his attack through the air.
This Cincinnati offense is well-equipped to take advantage of a struggling Titans secondary. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd all have an opportunity for a big game, and instead of choosing one of them, we take the quarterback.
Burrow has thrown for 250-plus passing yards in four of his last six games. In Weeks 17 and 18, Burrow threw for 525 and 446 yards. This offense is explosive.
Bengals +10.5
The spread is Cincinnati +3.5, so we’re buying an extra touchdown to bring this SGP home.
I do think Cincinnati has a legitimate chance to win this game. As mentioned, the Titans are going to have issues slowing down this passing game, so Burrow and company can put points on the board.
The Bengals have lost only two games by more than three points this season. That shows me a team that keeps games close, so to get the spread at 10.5 is some security in a reasonable SGP.
–By Griffin Carroll, Field Level Media