A pair of former Ohio State quarterbacks meet up in Cincinnati this weekend. While C.J. Stroud keeps adding to his NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year résumé with the Houston Texans, Joe Burrow has the Cincinnati Bengals looking like Super Bowl contenders. We’ll let you know who has the edge in this suddenly important game for the AFC Playoff picture.
Texans vs. Bengals Betting Lines, Start Time, and More
All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Spread: Bengals -6.5
- Moneyline: Texans (+225), Bengals (-278)
- Over/Under:Â 47
- Game time:Â 1:00 PM ET
- Location: Paycor Stadium
- Channel: CBS
Texans vs. Bengals Prediction
The Bengals are looking for a fifth straight win following a 1-3 start to their season. They have huge matchups in the next couple weeks against the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Texans, meanwhile, are looking to continue their recent run of success, going 4-2 in their last six games after an 0-2 start. They also have rookie sensation Stroud returning to the state of Ohio — notable storylines are abound for Week 10.
The Bengals head into this matchup as one of the league’s hottest teams with their four-game win streak. But they are also a team with injury concerns. Burrow has been impressive since Week 5, with 10 touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 75.8% and passer rating of 111.2 over this span.
But who will Burrow throw to Sunday? Wide receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring) was ruled out Friday, and fellow wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (back) is questionable, although he has indicated he wants to play.
MORE: Brian Blewis’ NFL Week 10 Predictions and Picks Against the Spread To Tail
With health issues at the receiver position, it would behoove the Bengals to establish a ground game. But no team has been worse at running the ball than Cincinnati, who is averaging a league-low 75.9 rush yards per game. In fact, outside of Joe Mixon — 490 rush yards on 126 carries — no other Bengals running back has more than 10 carries this season.
As for the Texans, Stroud’s excellence aside — 14 TD passes and one interception in 279 pass attempts — they have a long list of injuries to deal with as well. Out for a second straight game are the Texans’ leading rusher (Dameon Pierce, ankle) and their leading receiver (Nico Collins, calf).
Of course, both Pierce and Collins were out last week, and that did not prevent Stroud from setting a single-game NFL record for passing yards by a rookie (470).
But Stroud will be facing a Bengals defense that has been excellent at forcing turnovers during their winning streak. Over its last four games, Cincinnati has forced 10 turnovers and as a team the Bengals have a +7 turnover margin over this span.
And keep in mind that the Texans beat the Buccaneers last week despite allowing 37 points to Tampa Bay. In addition, the last time Houston went on the road, it generously provided the Carolina Panthers with their only win of the season.
From a betting angle, the Bengals are 4-1-1 against the spread against non-divisional opponents, and over the last two seasons they are an impressive 14-3-1 vs. opponents outside the AFC North.
Houston has been a great story this season — it has already topped last season’s win total — but a 1-3 record on the road, with an offense that averages less than 20 points per game (19.7) away from home is a scary team to support, especially facing a team that is starting to look like one of the league’s elite teams.
With so many big divisional games awaiting the Bengals later this month, they should be plenty focused for this matchup. I’m willing to give up the points here.
Best Bet: Bengals -6 (-115 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Our Betting Lines page has the freshest lines and promos to get BANG for your buck. PFN’s FREE Parlay Calculator and Betting Odds Calculator are also available for your betting process! New to sports betting? Check out our guide on How to Bet on the NFL. Visit our Sports Betting Legal Tracker on how to bet legally in the U.S.Â
