NFL 2021 Season: San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Betting Analysis

Two teams fighting for their playoff lives will square off at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, as the Bengals will host the San Francisco 49ers. If the playoffs were to start today, the Cincinnati Bengals would be on the outside looking in. Seven teams make the playoffs in each conference, and as it stands right now, the Bengals would be the eighth seed. This is why this game is so important for both squads.

After a rough start, the San Francisco 49ers have rebounded and gotten themselves back into the playoff hunt. Right now, the Niners are sitting at 6-6, which puts them in third place in the NFC West. Even though they’re third in their own division, they would still make the playoffs as a Wild Card. San Francisco would own the #6 seed. A loss in this one would put them in a tough position.

Here are some things to watch in this matchup, along with our prediction so you can bet against their NFL odds.

NFL Betting Preview for San Francisco 49ers vs Cincinnati Bengals

Strength vs Strength

Kyle Shanahan is known for his potent rushing attack. The 49ers run the ball nearly 50% of the time, making them the one of the top three teams in rushing attempts. The Niners are averaging just over 125 yards per game, gaining an average of 4.3 yards per carry. They want to keep the opposition’s offense off of the field, which when going against Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, Ja’Marr Chase and the rest of the Bengals offense, is a good idea. The Niners will likely be without their top receiver, Deebo Samuel, and could be without running back Elijah Mitchell, so that could hurt them on offense.

While rushing the ball is a strength of the Niners, stopping the run is one of the Bengals strengths. Over the last three games, they are giving up just over 3.5 yards per rush attempt. They’re giving up just over 90 rushing yards per game, but over the last three games they’ve allowed just over 65 yards per game. We’ll see how well they handle San Francisco’s blocking schemes.

Joe Burrow

When Joe Burrow is on, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He has thrown for over 3000 yards this season with 23 touchdown passes. However, he has also thrown 14 interceptions this season. When Burrow takes care of the ball and makes good decisions, it’s tough to stop him. We’ll see if San Francisco’s pass rush can put some pressure on him, and force him into some tough situations.

Prediction

The oddsmakers have spoken, and have made the Cincinnati Bengals a one-point favorite. Both teams know that this is a very important game in their quest for a playoff berth. Without Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell, we’re not sure if San Francisco has enough firepower to beat the Bengals. We look for Joe Burrow to come out and have a great game. Cincinnati knows that they have to win this game, and they’ll do whatever it takes to get the victory. Cincinnati wins a tight one by a field goal.

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