One of the more unexpected teams in the early part of the season may be the Atlanta Falcons. When they visit Cincinnati to take on the Bengals on Sunday, they'll aim for a decisive victory.
Both clubs have identical 3-3 records going into this encounter. When the two clubs last faced off in 2018, the Bengals prevailed. In this match, Cincinnati holds a 6.5-point advantage.
Falcons vs Bengals Betting Odds
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Falcons vs Bengals Match Details
Fixture: Falcons at Bengals
Date and Time: Sunday, October 23 at 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Falcons vs Bengals Key Stats
The Falcons have fared quite well thus far. Mariota has guided the NFL's eighth-ranked offense, which scores an average of 24.3 points per contest. Much of that has been done on the ground, considering the Falcons are the third-best rushing club in the league and the 30th-best passing team.
However, the Falcons' 3-3 record and recent 28-14 victory over the 49ers, their biggest victory of the season, speak for themselves. Despite only gaining 289 total yards, the Falcons were effective with them.
They regularly prolonged their drives against one of the league's top defenses thanks to their impressive 9 of 14 third-down conversion rate. The Falcons' defense was outstanding, allowing only 50 running yards and 346 total yards.
The reigning AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals have had a difficult start to the season. However, you can see that things are starting to fall into place for the Bengals, and they will once again be a dangerous club. The Bengals have won three of their past four games to finish the season at 3-3 and climb back to.500 after starting the year with two consecutive defeats.
They overcame a 26-21 fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Saints in a hard-fought road victory. Cincinnati took a 30-26 lead thanks to a gorgeous 60-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to JaMarr Chase with little over two minutes remaining.
Falcons vs Bengals Injury Update
Injury List: Falcons
Casey Hayward, CB, Injured Reserve, Dee Alford, CB Questionable, Jared Bernhardt, WR Questionable
Injury List: Bengals
Logan Wilson, LB, Questionable. Hayden Hurst, TE Questionable, Alex Cappa, G Questionable, Stanley Morgan, WR Questionable, Ja'Marr Chase, WR Questionable
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Falcons vs Bengals Best Picks and Prediction
Given the difficulties the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have faced this season, Atlanta has a real shot at winning the NFC South. However, they would lose to the resurgent Bengals in this game. The Falcons' pass defense is the main problem here. They are the NFL's 31st-best passing defense, making them extremely susceptible to the ball.
Atlanta's secondary's vulnerability will be on full show against the Bengals' high-flying passing attack, which includes Burrow and a trio of wide receivers in Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. The Falcons won't be able to move the ball effectively on the ground if Atlanta scores too many fast touchdowns. Consider the Bengals' point surrender.
Pick: Joe Burrow Over 282.5 Passing Yards (-115)
Prediction: Bengals -6.5 (-115)
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