NFL
NFL Week 2 preview: Bengals to bounce back
Week 1 in the NFL threw up plenty of surprises with an opening day defeat for last season’s Super Bowl winners the Kansas City Chiefs and crushing wins for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.
We preview the pick of the action on week 2.
Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals
2022 Super Bowl finalists the Cincinnati Bengals may have the highest-paid player in the NFL in QB Joe Burrows in their ranks but their campaign got off to a stuttering start last week as they fell to a heavy 24-3 defeat to rivals the Cleveland Browns.
Zac Taylor’s side will seek to bounce back in their first home game at the Paycor Stadium as they face a Baltimore Ravens side that crushed the Houston Texans in the opening week. The Bengals have won four of their last five meetings with the Ravens, but they must improve from last week if they are to justify their favouritism in the market at 10/17.
The Bengals really struggled in the offensive department against the Browns, with wet conditions seemingly not helping them. Joe Burrow only managed 67 net passing yards and 142 net offensive yards. That clearly won’t be good enough against a side that limited the Texans to only nine points last time. Running back Joe Mixon made 56 of the Bengal’s 70 rushing yards against the Browns and looks their most likely outlet again, with the 27-year-old 10/11 to score a TD. Ja’maar Chase won’t be happy with his contribution from last week, but the wide receiver was a key part of the Bengal’s charge to the Super Bowl in 2022 and is 21/20 to record a touchdown.
A 16-point winning margin perhaps doesn’t tell the full story of the Raven’s victory in week one, as they did struggle offensively at times. Quarterback Lamar Jackson’s stats weren’t that impressive, with only 17 pass completions and throwing yards at 169, the third lowest of any QB on the opening weekend. Jackson will need to step up again, especially with running back J.K Dobbins being ruled out for the season with an Achillies tear.
That suggests the Ravens, who are 6/4 to record a win on the road, could be up against it and the Bengals to bounce back might be the safest play.
San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
There’s a big clash in NFC West this Sunday, with the San Francisco 49ers on the road to face Californian rivals the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Both sides got off to the perfect start with comfortable victories in week one, the 49ers beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-7 and the Rams trumping the Seattle Seahawks 30-13.
With both teams in form, this has the look of a scintillating clash. The 49ers hold a significant recent head-to-head advantage with eight wins to two in their last 10 meetings, so it’s no surprise to see them as heavy favourites at 20/69 on the money line.
Coach Kyle Shanahan has perhaps the most talented squad of players in the NFL at his disposal. Quarterback Brock Purdy has returned from an offseason elbow surgery and produced a solid performance against the Steelers, throwing two touchdowns. Purdy will only improve with more game time and should be a key part of the 49ers challenge in the NFC. Purdy targeted wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk during the last game and the pair could look to combine once again, with Aiyuk, who was named NFC offensive player of week one, 13/8 to score a TD.
Shanahan has made no secret of his admiration for Rams QB Matt Stafford and has also identified defensive tackle, Aaron Donald as a key player. The Rams are 57/20 to record a home win and with Stafford they will pose much more of a threat to the 49ers than they faced against the Steelers in week one. However, the spread of +/- 7.5 suggests that the 49ers should have too much for LA and with their all-round strength in offence and defence, Kyle Shanahan’s team should make it two wins from two this season.
