Bengals-Titans live blog: Derrick Henry returns for Divisional Round game
3:10 p.m. ET — Derrick Henry is active
Derrick Henry is officially active for the Titans, as expected. That’s a huge boost for Tennessee, especially their offense.
Neither team has any surprise inactives. The match starts in a little over an hour. Be sure to keep following for updates!
3 p.m. ET — Welcome to the divisional round!
The first of four NFL playoff games begins Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. ET when the top-seeded Titans (12-5) host the AFC North champion Bengals (11-7).
Tennessee is a 4 point favorite at SI Sportsbook, and the game has an over/under of 48.5. SI Betting previewed this game and offered a best bet.
It should be a fascinating game, especially with the Titans welcoming returning superstar Derrick Henry to the roster. Tennessee activated Henry from injured reserve on Friday, putting him in position to play.
Henry hasn’t played since Week 8 due to a broken foot and his importance to this attack cannot be overstated. While the value of running backs across the league has seemed to decline, Henry is the piece that makes the Titans capable of beating anyone. He rushed for 937 yards and 10 touchdowns before his injury and was instrumental in Tennessee’s wins over the Bills and Chiefs earlier in the year.
There are obviously questions about the workload Henry will receive upon his return and how effective he will be after such a long layoff. But his return should help AJ Brown and Julio Jones, since the Bengals will have to focus more on stopping the run than they would if the Titans relied on secondary options like D’Onta Foreman.
Henry has -188 touchdown chances on Saturday.
While Cincinnati is solid against the run, ranking fifth in rushing yards allowed per game, losing starting defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi is a blow. The Bengals finished 26and in passing yards allowed per game, so there should be chances for Brown and Jones through the air.
The passing yards over/under quarterback Ryan Tannehill is 235.5 yards.
Cincinnati enters this game at the highest level after its first playoff victory in 31 years and seeks to reach the AFC conference championship for the first time since 1988.
Cincinnati’s receiving trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd is as good as any in the league, and quarterback Joe Burrow may have to rely on his receivers against a Titans defense that ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. (84.6).
Chase announced his presence in the wild card win over the Raiders by catching nine balls for 116 yards, and he could be in line for another big day against a 25-rated Titans defense.and in passing yards allowed per game. Chase’s receiving over/under is 6.5 and his receiving prop is 80.5 yards, while Higgins’ props sit at 4.5 catches and 62.5 yards.
Chase has +115 touchdown chances, while Higgins has +175 chances.
Burrow’s passing yards over/under are 285.5 yards and running back Joe Mixon’s yardage props are just 60.5, indicating that it is expected until the Bengals air it.
MMQB’s Conor Orr is on hand in Nashville as the first of four conference championship spots are secured. Follow us and have fun!
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