An AFC Wild Card battle of two teams that limped into the playoffs kicks off Saturday when the Cincinnati Bengals visit the Houston Texans.
Houston clinched the AFC South three weeks ago, then lost three straight while injuries hammered the roster. The Bengals meanwhile lost three of five to slump to 9-7 and needed tiebreakers to beat Tennessee for this Wild Card spot.
Houston is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings with the Bengals and opened as 3-point home chalk here on the NFL odds menu at most online sportsbooks. Watch the injury situation during the week for line moves.
Of note, AFC road teams are 5-1 ATS the past 3 Wild Card weekends and 6-2 SU overall. Check out our story on Wild Card betting trends this week and see the latest playoff bonus offers at Sportsbook.
View Cincinnati vs Houston Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had the Texans pegged as 3-point favorites in this AFC Wild Card odds matchup. The total, meanwhile, was listed by sportsbooks such as Sportsbook at 38.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
It's a betting matchup between the No. 1-rated Texans and the No. 12-ranked Bengals, according to the NFL Power Rankings here at Odds Shark. Predictive-scoring models run on this game indicate a potential 27-22 result in favor of the Texans.
Bengals vs Texans Game Props, courtesy of Sportsbook:
CIN vs HOU
Total Rushing Yards – Cedric Benson (CIN)
Over./Under 62½
Total Receiving Yards – A.J. Green (CIN)
Over/Under 67½
Total Rushing Yards – Arian Foster (HOU)
Over/Under 105½
Who will record more Passing Yards in the game?
Andy Dalton (CIN) QB -9½ (-115)
T.J. Yates (HOU) QB +9½ (-115)
Who will record more TD Passes in the game?
Andy Dalton (CIN) QB +160
T.J. Yates (HOU) QB +160
Tie +190
Who will record more Interceptions in the game?
Andy Dalton (CIN) QB +150
T.J. Yates (HOU ) QB +170
Tie +190
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Houston's No. 10-ranked offense (23.8 PPG) against a Bengals defense that ranks No. 9 at 20.2 PPG. The Texans passing attack has averaged 219.1 yards per game, more than the Bengals give up through the air (211.6 YPG on average).
Defensively, the Bengals feature the league's No. 3-rated road run defense, allowing 98.1 yards per game. Houston, meanwhile, ranks No. 2 in rushing offense at home.
Cincinnati lost its last outing, a 24-16 result against the Ravens on January 1. The Bengals failed to cover in that game as a 2.5-point underdog, while the 40 combined points took the game OVER the total. The Bengals suffered a Week 17 loss against Baltimore in their last game, falling 24-16 at Paul Brown Stadium.
The Texans were a 23-22 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Titans. They covered the 1.5–point spread as underdogs, while the total score (45) made winners of OVER bettors. In their last game, the Texans were Week 17 losers coming out on the wrong end of 23-22 score against Tennessee.
Cincinnati Bengals Trends:
When playing in January are 2-8
When playing on grass are 4-6
After being outgained are 5-5
When playing outside the division are 7-3
Houston Texans Trends:
When playing in January are 2-3
When playing on grass are 7-3
After outgaining opponent are 5-5
When playing outside the division are 6-4
A few Bengals at Texans trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Cincinnati's last 13 games
Cincinnati is 6-1-2 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cincinnati is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 8 games at home
Houston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Houston's last 13 games
Houston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
