San Francisco at Cincinnati
Time: NOON (CT), FOX
Spread: PICK
Total: 46
Odds c/o 5dimes
The San Francisco 49ers won Week 1 31-17 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cincinnati Bengals lost its Week 1 matchup 20-21 to Seattle. The teams will collide Sunday at Noon (CT) on FOX with EVEN Betting odds, in a game that has an over/under set at 46 points, according to NFL oddsmakers at bookmaker 5dimes.
CIN
The Bengals found itself Week 1 losers as Seattle struck last on a 44-yard TD pass from Russell Wilson. Cincy received some very solid play from its veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. He completed 35 of 51 for 418 yards and two TDs while throwing no interceptions. Dalton did suffer five sacks for 23-yards total lost, but still posted a decent passer rating of 106.5. The Bengals backfield produced precious little, though. Giovani Bernard rushed seven times for 21 yards and Joe Mixon picked up 10 yards on his six attempts. Tyler Boyd rushed just once for three yards. The Bengals 14 attempts brought just 2.4 yards-per-carry.
Wide receiver John Ross III had a monster day, though. He caught seven of 12 targeted passes for 158 yards, including two touchdowns and a long-catch for 55-yards. CJ Uzomah added 66 yards on four catches, and Boyd was effective as a receiver catching his eight passes for 60 total yards. Bernard also came out of the backfield to catch two passes for 42 yards. The Bengals were so effective with the pass, but even its backfield has become reliant on it, at least thus far. Look for Cincy to put an emphasis on developing its rush attack in Week 2, because it cannot be as one-dimensional as it was in the loss to the Seahawks in Week 1.
Bernard rushed for just 211 yards last year on 56 attempts, and he has not had a 500-plus yard season since 2015. His first three seasons in the NFL, he rushed for 695, 680, and 730 yards, but he has been employed in fewer plays since. Last year he caught 35 passes for 218 yards, but in his rookie season (2013) that figure was over 500-yards. Boyd is coming off a sensational season which saw him catch 76 passes for 1,028 yards. He rushed just twice last year, and four times in 2016, so his one carry in Week 1 is without a lot of significance in that regard. It is too early to decide whether we may see him in more rushing plays.
SAN FRAN
The 49ers got a mixed performance from Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 1. The former understudy of Tom Brady threw 18 of 27 for 166 yards with a TD pass and an interception. He was sacked just once for -8 yards, but he also averaged just 6.1 yards-per-catch.
The backfield was decent, with Raheem Mostert rushing nine times for 40 yards, Matt Breida rushing 15 times for 37 yards, and Tevin Coleman picking up 23 yards on his six attempts. Garoppolo rushed twice for a loss of two yards in total. George Kittle led all 49ers with eight catches for 54 yards, including a long play of 19-yards. Richie James had one 39-yard catch, and Tevin Coleman caught two passes for eight and 31 yards, each.
The 49ers allowed Tampa Bay to pick up 295 total yards in the game, to its 248, but the Buccaneers’ Jameis Winston threw three interceptions in the game, and OJ Howard lost a fumble. San Francisco had three sacks and six tackles-for-loss, while the 49ers were good for just one, and three, respectively. The 49ers defensive effort and execution was enough to defeat Tampa Bay, but it is going to need a better effort from its backfield and hopefully an interception-free week from Garoppolo. The 49ers have a more-balanced offensive attack than the Bengals, and possibly a more disruptive defense. Can it prevail in beginning its season 2-0 with back-to-back road wins?
