49ers (6-6) at Bengals (7-5)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, Dec. 12, Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati TV: CBS
Tipico Sportsbook line: Bengals by ⁄2
1
49ers’ keys to victory: With dual-threat WR Deebo Samuel an unknown after missing Week 13 due to an injury, QB Jimmy Garoppolo will need to focus on getting the ball to TE George Kittle versus a defense that traditionally struggles to defend the position. DE Nick Bosa and the defense need to force turnovers. A threegame streak starting in Week 10 featured multiple turnovers by opponents, allowing the 49ers to dominate time of possession. Cincinnati turned the ball over four times in a Week 13 loss to the Chargers.
Bengals’ keys to victory: Ride RB Joe Mixon. Mixon ran for a career-high 165 yards in a Week 12 win over the Steelers. That will make life easier on QB Joe Burrow by helping to neutralize the Bosaled pass rush. It’s also key if Burrow’s still playing through a finger injury on his throwing hand. Defensively, DE Trey Hendrickson needs to make Garoppolo uncomfortable, especially if the Bengals are playing with a lead. Hendrickson has 11.5 sacks in 12 games, including one in an NFL-high eight consecutive games.
Matchup to watch: 49ers’ Bosa vs. Bengals OT Jonah Williams. Bosa tallied 11 sacks over 11 games to start the season. The 49ers will need more of that consistency against a quarterback such as Burrow. But Williams and Company have contained Maxx Crosby, T.J. Watt and Joey Bosa of late.
Who wins? The Bengals have a high-powered offense, improved offensive line and pressure-generating defense.
Bengals, 24-20