Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals Preview
Where: Paul Brown Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
When: Saturday, August 19, 2017, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Kansas City Chiefs (+1.5) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (-1.5); total: 39.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: KCTV 5, CBS 12
NFL News and Previews
- Washington Redskins vs. Kansas City Chiefs Preview - October 2, 2017
- Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos Preview - October 1, 2017
- Carolina Panthers vs. New England Patriots Preview - October 1, 2017
- 2017 NFL Week 4 Picks and Predictions
Betting on the Kansas City Chiefs (EVEN)
All eyes were on Patrick Mahomes as he made his much-anticipated debut for the Kansas City Chiefs, albeit in a preseason game Friday against the San Francisco 49ers. Mahomes, the first quarterback taken by Kansas City in the first round in 34 years, didn’t disappoint, completing 7 of 9 passes for 49 yards and a touchdown.
That performance was enough for the Chiefs’ top brass to promote Mahomes to the No. 2 QB position. He leapfrogged veteran backup Tyler Dray who completed 5 of 8 passes for 63 yards on Friday. The promotion seemed to boost Mahomes’ spirits as he was the only one among Kansas City’s top three quarterbacks who didn’t throw an interception in Sunday’s practice session. He went 8-for-11 in both full team drills and 7-on-7 drills.
With the new NFL season inching closer and closer, we can expect starting quarterback Alex Smith to get more playing time against Cincinnati. He was 4 for 6 for 48 yards in his only series Friday against the Niners. Andy Reid has made no secret his desire to get more big passing plays from the Chiefs this season and it will be interesting to see if he will let his quarterbacks bomb away against the Bengals. On the first play from scrimmage for each of the top three QBs in Friday’s 27-17 loss to San Francisco, the Chiefs tried for a big-pass play with a throw down the field.
Betting on the Cincinnati Bengals (-120)
Cincinnati’s 2017 preseason is off to a strong start, beating Tampa Bay, 23-12, on Friday. More than the victory, Bengals fans were delighted to see the return of A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert. Green, who missed the last half of last season with a hamstring injury, caught a pair of passes for 21 yards. Eifert, who had back surgery on December, secured his only target Friday for four yards. When on the field, Eifert is a touchdown machine, scoring 18 times in 21 games over the past two seasons.
With the duo back in full health, the possibilities are endless for Cincinnati who finished just 6-9-1 last season. That being said, Andy Dalton will need to be more consistent if the Bengals are to return to the playoff picture. He looked shaky in his only series against the Bucs, completing four of five passes for 38 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Dalton’s night ended with an interception by Tampa Bay cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, who jumped in front of Cincinnati wide receiver Brandon LaFell.
Dalton will look to shake that rust off against the Chiefs this coming Saturday where he’s expected to play the entirety of the first quarter at a minimum. Also expected to get more playing time in that contest is Joe Mixon. The rookie running back carried six times for 31 yards in the preseason opener against the Bucs. Mixon turned his only reception against Tampa Bay into an 11-yard gain by slipping through a pair of attempted tackles.
Writer’s Prediction
Kansas City (+1.5) wins, 24-17.
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