NFL Preseason Week 2 Predictions: Tennessee Titans vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Tennessee Titans vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Saturday, 8/17/13, 7:00 PM EST, TV: N/A
Opening Point Spread: Cincinnati -2.5
Current Betting Line: Cincinnati -2.5
Opening Total: 40.5
Current Total: 41
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the more dynamic offenses in the NFL

Tennessee ended up on the losing end of a 22-21 decision to the Washington Redskins as three-point home favorites in its exhibition opener on Aug. 8, while going OVER the betting total of 35.5. Titans head coach Mike Munchak was encouraged by the play of the offensive line and the running game’s overall performance. “We went into the game and our thinking was to establish the run,” commented Munchak. Running back Chris Johnson could be in line for a bounce back season, especially if quarterback Jake Locker is able to get the passing game going. Tennessee has covered its last four games in Week 2 of the NFL preseason, which is important to consider when making your NFL betting picks Saturday.

The Titans definitely want to extend the field with the passing game, as wide receivers Kenny Britt and Justin Hunter have the ability to go up and get balls. It’s important to point out that 45 of Locker’s 58 passing yards in the opener came after the catch. Tennessee has one of the deeper backfields in football, with Shonn Greene and Chris Johnson both having the ability to run for over 1,000 yards this season. Johnson ranks second in the league in gaining 6,888 yards on the ground since 2008.

Cincinnati opened its preseason schedule last week in impressive fashion, winning a 34-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons as 1.5-point road underdogs, while climbing OVER the betting total of 36.5. The Bengals are led by the third-year combination of quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green, which is important to consider when looking over the NFL betting lines. The franchise will be looking to improve upon its 26-19 all-time record in home preseason openers.

In two seasons with the Bengals, Dalton has thrown 35 touchdowns with no interceptions on plays with snaps inside the red zone, which happens to be the most scoring throws without a pick amongst active signal-callers. He’s looking to become just the fifth quarterback to take his club to the playoffs in his first three seasons. On the defensive end, Cincinnati is led by a line that contributed 43 of a team-record 51 sacks and helped the unit rank sixth in fewest yards allowed in 2012.