Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals Prediction: Bet on over

On Sunday, an American Football Conference (AFC) divisional round playoff game will take place between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Both squads are playing exceptionally well, and they have a long history together. You can find out everything you need to know about the match down below.

Buffalo's return to the divisional round was much more difficult than many predicted last week, as the Bills committed three turnovers yet still managed to beat the Miami Dolphins by a score of 34-31. The Bills' defense allowed just 17.9 points per game in 2022-23 and ranked among the best in stopping opponents on third down, but the Dolphins' 4/16 performance against them last Sunday was only the second time all season that they allowed more than 30 points in a game. Even with two picks, Buffalo's passing game was still potent last weekend. They finished with 316 yards in the air. The Bills' pass defense has been one of their many strengths in 2022–23. Even though Buffalo has played the pass effectively all season, particularly tight ends, holding that position to a 67.6 rating, the lowest in the league, Sean McDermott's secondary will need to be at their best to slow down the Bengals, who have possibly the deepest collection of pass catchers in the game. The Bills gave up seven sacks against Miami, two more than they had in their previous three games combined, despite having arguably the most mobile quarterback in the NFL under center.

Cincinnati's season may have been rescued by a fumble recovery by Sam Hubbard on the goal line late in the fourth quarter, after Tyler Huntley had fumbled the ball on the goal line earlier in the game. The Bengals are a passing team led by a quarterback who likes to spread the ball around to his receivers, as seen by the fact that five players had at least one reception last Sunday. While Buffalo may be the strongest team against the tight end in terms of preventing touchdown passes, Cincinnati has done a fantastic job in this regard, as seen by the fact that they have allowed only three such scores all season. A much-improved offensive line looked like the same unit we saw in the 2021 season, allowing four sacks and eight quarterback hits against the Ravens. Zac Taylor's team has had trouble opening up holes for their running game all season. Last week, they only ran for 51 yards, and they haven't reached 100 yards in five straight games.

Both of these teams have experienced the agony of elimination from the postseason, so we can anticipate a high level of competitiveness on both sides and plenty of back-and-forth action. It is difficult to pick a winner when both teams have elite quarterbacks and many offensive weapons, but we are giving the Bills a slight edge because their running attack has been more consistent than Cincinnati's and their pass rush could be a handful.