Expect a High-Scoring Affair as Bengals Host Titans

The Tennessee Titans visit the Cincinnati Bengals in a Week 8 matchup of teams that have been scoring – and allowing – a ton of points. The Titans (5-1 SU, 2-4 ATS) have feasted on a string of bad defenses but have been playing efficient, smart football on offense and enter the week as the third highest-scoring team in the NFL. The Bengals (1-5-1 SU, 5-1-1 ATS) have not had trouble scoring either but have allowed the sixth-most points this season.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The game opened with the Titans as favorites at -1.5 but that line has quickly risen to -5.5 or -6 depending on the sportsbook. The total opened at 52.5 and has risen to 54.5 or 55 depending where you place your bets.

Tennessee News & Notes

The Titans’ old-school mentality has led to some efficient football as they rank in the bottom half of the league in many major passing categories (attempts, yards) but are tied for fifth in passing touchdowns (15) and have committed just three turnovers – second-fewest in the league. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has not been called on to carry his team but has made plenty of plays when needed in key moments.

The centerpiece of the Titans offense is NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry. Henry leads the league in attempts (143) and yards (663) and is tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (7). Look for Henry to again shoulder the load for Tennessee against a weak Bengals defense. This is an elite matchup for Henry from a fantasy and DFS standpoint.

Cincinnati News & Notes

When the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Joe Burrow first overall in April, they probably did not envision that he would be leading the league in pass attempts through seven weeks of the season. But that is the situation the Bengals find themselves in as a poor defense has led the team into many negative game scripts.

Burrow has been up and down this year, posting a 2,023-9-5 line in seven games, taking a league-leading 28 sacks in the process and committing eight fumbles, also most in the league. Much of this can be blamed on bad offensive line play and those negative game scripts, but from a betting perspective it is something we want to attack. A game with such a high total is likely to lead to more dropbacks from the quarterbacks, which means more opportunities for sacks and interceptions as well as scoring.