This weekend, the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to bounce back from a two-game losing streak as they travel to take on the Denver Broncos. With both teams sitting at 7-6 and just outside the playoff picture at the moment, this AFC matchup is sure to have significant seeding implications.
NFL betting lines have Cincinnati as a 2.5-point underdog. Continue reading to find out how many points this Bengals’ offense can put on the stingy Broncos’ defense.
Cincinnati Bengals Offense
The Bengals enter this Week 15 matchup against the Broncos as the 7th best scoring offense in the NFL. A complement of veteran skill players such as running back Joe Mixon and immense young talents in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Joe Burrow make this Bengals offense one of the best in football.
While neither the rushing nor passing offense rank in the top ten this season in terms of yards per contest, the Bengals have one of the most aggressive air attacks in football.
Ranking first in yards per attempt (8.5) and second in yards per completion (12.3), Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense thrive on pushing the ball down the field and making chunk plays. Among the 27 players with 60 or more receptions this season, Ja’Marr Chase ranks 1st in yards per catch, 2nd in yards per target, and 3rd in receiving touchdowns.
While receivers like Chase and Higgins help Burrow stretch the defense, fifth-year running back Joe Mixon leads the NFL in rushing attempts (245) and is second in total rushing yards on the year (1,036). With the threat of the downfield passing game back into the Cincinnati offense this season, Mixon has enjoyed arguably his most productive campaign as a pro.
Stout Broncos Defense
The Denver Broncos will host the Bengals this Sunday and present one of the best scoring defenses in the NFL. Limiting teams to just 17.5 points per game on the season, the New England Patriots (15.4) are the only team allowing fewer points than the Broncos.
Denver’s defense ranks 10th in both passing and rushing yards allowed. This year, they are only one of three teams to be ranked inside the top-11 in both categories.
Further, this Broncos’ defense has allowed the 2nd fewest rushing touchdowns (7) and 4th fewest passing touchdowns (16) this season.
Bengals vs. Broncos
I’m predicting a close game in this matchup featuring Cincinnati’s high-powered offense against Denver’s elite defense. With both teams at 7-6, a win for either team may be the difference when it comes to tiebreakers for playoff seeding.
While I expect another strong defensive performance from Denver at home, I believe the explosive Bengals offense has enough firepower to outpace a Broncos team ranked only 20th in scoring this year. After back-to-back disappointing losses for the Cincinnati Bengals, I see them bouncing back by defeating Denver 21-20.
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