San Francisco 49ers vs Cincinnati Bengals

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The Cincinnati Bengals, with a record of 3-3 and 2-3-1 ATS (Against the Spread), are set to face the San Francisco 49ers, who have a record of 5-2, and are 4-3 ATS in an inter-conference matchup this coming Sunday. The Bengals managed to secure a victory on the road against the Seahawks in their last game before their bye week. On the other hand, the 49ers suffered a loss on the road to the Vikings in their previous match. It's worth noting that these two teams last squared off in 2021, with the 49ers emerging as the winners.

The Cincinnati Bengals are currently on a winning streak. While they had a slow start to the season with a 1-3 record in the first four games, they have bounced back with three wins in their last four matchups. Notable victories include a 34-20 win against the Cardinals in week five and a 17-13 home win against the Seahawks in week six, where they were favored by three points. The Bengals had a bye week to recharge. Their early struggles were mainly attributed to Joe Burrow playing through an injury. In recent games, they've covered the spread in two out of three.

Joe Burrow's performance was outstanding in the win against the Cardinals, throwing for 317 yards. However, he had a relatively less productive game against the Seahawks, with 185 passing yards. So far this season, the 26-year-old quarterback has accumulated 1230 passing yards with a 7:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

The Bengals' running game has faced challenges, ranking 30th in the league. Joe Mixon, their running back, has yet to achieve 100 rushing yards in a single game, with his highest output being 81 yards in the win against the Cardinals. Mixon, who is 27 years old, has gained 366 rushing yards, averaging 3.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Ja'Marr Chase, a 23-year-old star, has been a consistent threat in the passing game, with at least 80 receiving yards in three of his last four games and a total of 556 receiving yards this season. Notably, the Bengals' offense has scored more than 20 points only twice this season.

The Bengals' defense had a shaky start to the season but has shown improvement in their last two wins. They limited the Cardinals to 294 total yards and, although they conceded 384 yards to the Seahawks, they allowed only 13 points, marking their best defensive performance of the season. Their pass defense ranks 13th, while their rush defense is currently at 29th.

In terms of scoring, Cincinnati is averaging 16.7 points per game this season, which ranks them 28th in the league. On the defensive side, they are conceding an average of 21.2 points per game, placing them 18th in the league.

The San Francisco 49ers are in dire need of a victory, as their promising start with five consecutive wins has cooled off, resulting in two consecutive losses. In week six, they unexpectedly lost 19-17 to the Browns on the road, despite being an 8.5-point favorite. Subsequently, they struggled to generate enough offense in a 22-17 road loss to the Vikings on Monday, where they were 6.5-point favorites. Despite this slump, the team still holds the top spot in their division, with a half-game lead over Seattle. Their recent performance shows that they've covered the spread in just one of their last three games.

In the loss to the Vikings, Brock Purdy, the 23-year-old quarterback, had a decent performance but threw two interceptions. This marked a change from his earlier season form, as he had gone without an interception in the first five games, but he now has three in his last two. Purdy has accumulated 1668 passing yards and boasts a solid 11:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio for the season. However, he is currently in concussion protocol and is uncertain to play. While he did have limited participation in practice on Thursday, there's still a question mark over his availability. If he's unable to play, Sam Darnold will take over, although there are expectations that Purdy will be able to play.

Christian McCaffrey, the star running back, has been relatively quiet lately, with only 43 and 45 rushing yards in his last two games. Despite this, he's achieved 100 rushing yards three times this season and currently has 598 rushing yards with a 4.8 yards per carry average. Brandon Aiyuk has had two games with 100 receiving yards and a total of 511 receiving yards this season. Unfortunately, Deebo Samuel is sidelined due to injury. The San Francisco offense has struggled, scoring just 34 points in their last two outings.

On the defensive side, the 49ers have been strong, consistently limiting their opponents to less than 23 points per game. While they held the Browns to 334 yards, they allowed 352 yards to the Vikings and struggled with pass defense. Their pass defense ranks 16th, but their rush defense continues to excel, currently ranked 3rd. However, their pass rush has been underwhelming, with only 15 sacks so far.

Statistically, San Francisco is averaging 28.7 points per game, the second-best in the league, while their defense is holding opponents to just 15.6 points, ranking them 3rd in the NFL.

The Cincinnati Bengals have had an inconsistent season, partly due to QB Joe Burrow playing through a calf injury and their defense being exploited at times. In contrast, the 49ers are among the top NFL teams and have been dominant at home, winning all three home games by a margin of at least 18 points.

Additionally, while there's uncertainty about Purdy's availability, there's still confidence in the 49ers, especially with the line favoring them. The Bengals have been struggling with their rush defense, ranking 29th against the run, which plays into the 49ers' reliance on Christian McCaffrey, who has been performing well in the rushing game. San Francisco's rushing offense is averaging an impressive 135 yards per game. Conversely, the Bengals have struggled to establish a running game and are unlikely to find success in the air against the formidable 49ers defense, which allows an average of just 223 passing yards per game.