Here we go… We start with one of the most exiting games this round. Do you know that the Raiders are without a playoffs win since 2002. Ok so you know now. But that’s nothing comparing to the Bengals. They haven’t won a game since 1991, whole 31 year which makes them holding the leagues not such famous record for having ZERO wins in the playoffs games.
The biggest variable when predicting this game is finding out how much energy the Las Vegas Raiders have left in the tank. After such a dramatic ending to their season and having to back up for a Saturday game, nobody should be surprised if the Raiders are a little bit flat out of the gates against Cincinnati. Anyone who has watched the Bengals this season knows how dangerous they can be, especially if that connection of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase gets going.
Las Vegas enter the postseason on the back of four straight wins, capped by a crazy game against the Los Angeles Chargers, in which they scored a field goal as the overtime clock expired to secure a wild card berth.
However, for a variety of reasons, the Raiders’ playoff campaign may be extremely short-lived.
Hosts Cincinnati had been one of the league’s boom or bust teams but in the past few weeks they appear to have really started putting it together.
A phenomenal performance against the Baltimore Ravens was followed by a huge win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Bengals look a fearless unit at present.
Quarterback Joe Burrow is playing incredible football, boasting an outrageous 971 passing yards and nine touchdowns in his past two games. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are lighting it up as a three-headed monster at wide receiver, while running back Joe Mixon continues to do the hard yards on the ground.
The Raiders may have got hot at the end of the regular season, but each of their four victories was by four points or fewer and, bluntly put, it’s debatable whether they are of the standard required for the playoffs.
Las Vegas showed how flimsy they can be on defense last week when they let Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert constantly complete fourth-down passes.
They made the fewest interceptions in the regular season with just six, and are tied for allowing the ninth-most passing TDs this season.
The Bengals beat the Raiders 32-13 less than two months ago, and there is no reason to believe things should be any different this time around.
Prediction: Bengals -5.5