Seahawks (3-1) at Bengals (2-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Stadium, Cincinnati
TV: CBS
Spread (BetMGM):
Bengals for 2.5
Seahawks’ keys to victory: Let RB Kenneth Walker III run wild against a defense that, over the first five weeks, coughed up more than 150 yards per game. The lanes should be wide open as a hobbled Bengals secondary has to account for WRs DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, plus TE Noah Fant, who averages 16 yards per catch. The defense, which features six defenders with two sacks apiece, led by LB Bobby Wagner, can feel comfortable blitzing extra. That strategy is usually unwise to an extreme degree against this quarterback, but not this week.
Bengals’ keys to victory: Handing the ball to RB Joe Mixon often won’t work against a defense allowing just 87.5 yards per game on the ground, and Cincinnati hasn’t tried to mix it up. So it’s all on the arm of QB Joe Burrow, who has finally displayed his usual mobility after he injured his calf in the preseason. Still, quick hitters to WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd are the main strategy, with WR Tee Higgins’ availability a question mark because of a fractured rib. Bringing pressure with the likes of DE Trey Hendrickson might be the only way to save the secondary from getting torched.
Matchup to watch: Seahawks defensive line vs. Bengals’ Burrow. It’s all about Burrow and his ability to move. If he’s healthy enough to have moving pockets, he could pick things apart downfield. But he’ll also need to show he can avoid taking hits from the defensive line.
Who wins? Burrow looked like his normal self in a 34-20 win over the Cardinals and he’s at home.
Bengals, 24-20
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