After falling out of first place in AFC North in a loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 10, the Cincinnati Bengals are back on top after posting back-to-back wins over New Orleans and Houston. The Bengals will need to take care of their lead, starting with Tampa Bay on Sunday. Can the Bengals hold onto their spot atop the AFC North? Or will the Bucs record another upset this season?
Another interconference game is on the cards as two of the most explosive offenses collide when the Patriots pay a visit to the Packers. Read our complete preview of that exciting matchup here.
[sc:Football ]Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay
When: Sunday, November 30, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Cincinnati Bengals (-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+4); total: 44.5 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 233 yards and a touchdown as he led the Bengals to a 22-13 win over Houston on Sunday. Dalton relied primarily on No. 1 receiver A.J. Green who had a career-high 12 receptions for 121 yards, while Mohamed Sanu caught the quarterback’s only touchdown pass.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Cincinnati quarterback and his receiving corps take on a revitalized Tampa Bay pass defense, which has held opponents to less than 200 yards in back-to-back games. If the Bengals’ passing stalls, and it has in the past (against the Colts and the Browns), they can still turn to their vaunted running game.
Running back Giovani Bernard suited up Sunday and had 45 yards rushing after missing the past three games due to shoulder and hip issues. Rookie Jeremy Hill provided a solid option on the ground with two 150-yard games and two touchdowns in Bernard’s absence. Hill had 87 yards and a score on 18 carries against Houston.
Against a Tampa Bay front seven which has left holes for opposing backs to exploit—they’ve given up 10 touchdowns on the ground this season—either Hill or Bernard, if healthy, should be able to find some success on the ground.
On the other side of the ball, six players have at least one interception across the Bengals’ defensive unit. Defensive end Robert Geathers (one) and linebacker Emmanuel Lamur (two) from the front seven may threaten with an interception on errant passes.
Meanwhile, the secondary has also been excellent at picking off opposing quarterbacks. Reggie Nelson (two), George Iloka (three), Adam Jones and Leon Hall may threaten Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown, who threw two interceptions against Chicago, if he gets too adventurous with his passes.
The Bengals are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven games against NFC teams.
Betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lovie Smith’s return to Soldier Field was spoiled as Tampa Bay fell to the Bears 21-13. Quarterback McCown racked up the yardage and finished with 341 yards and a touchdown, but also threw two interceptions and was sacked five times. McCown may be able to stay on his feet against Cicinnati, though, as the Bengals only have 14 sacks this season (31st in the league).
Since returning from a thumb injury, McCown has thrown for 280 or more yards in three games, and should be able to exploit Cincinnati’s pass defense which has allowed an average of 243.5 yards this season.
McCown would not have been successful since his return if not for a competent receiving corps. Vincent Jackson caught five passes for 117 yards and Louis Murphy had 113 yards on six receptions, but could not find the end zone for a score against Chicago. Instead, rookie Mike Evans caught the quarterback’s lone scoring pass, extending his streak to four consecutive games with at least one touchdown.
While the Bucs have primarily looked to pass in their games, they may want to examine the running game against Cincinnati’s leaky rushing defense (average of 129.6 yards allowed), which has conceded the fifth-most rushing touchdowns in the league (12).
The Bucs’ running game has been bad all year (84 yards per game, 29th in the league), but even it managed to gain over 4.0 yards per carry against the Browns and Falcons, which are right down there with the Bengals in terms of run defense.
The total has gone under in Tampa Bay’s last five games.
Writer’s Prediction
A complete game on both sides of the ball has the Bengals (-4) running away with the win. Don’t settle for just making predictions. Create a betting account now and put your picks to the test.
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