Week 9 vs. Buffalo Bills (SNF)
We didn’t get to see the Bengals and Bills square off in the regular season due to Damar Hamlin collapsing on the field. Fortunately, Hamlin is okay.
What we did get to see, however, is the Bengals curb-stomping the Bills in a snowy Orchard Park in the AFC Divisional Round. The Bills will likely still be seething from that beatdown so this game is one they’ll have circled on their calendar all season long.
While I do think the game will be much closer than that one in the postseason, I don’t see Cincinnati losing what’s sure to be a huge game. It definitely works in Cincy's favor that this game is right around the halfway mark, meaning the Bengals should be on the rise while the Bills, who generally start the season hot and then fade out, will be trending downward.
Prediction: 31-24 Bengals
Week 10 vs. Houston Texans
The Texans haven’t had much go their way since they were up 24-0 over the Chiefs in the Divisional Round during the 2019 playoffs. Ever since, they’ve been a dumpster fire and that seems to be putting it nicely.
Houston did spend the second overall pick on CJ Stroud, however, so Bengals fans know that the team could be a little more intimidating when the two teams meet up at Paycor Stadium. Still, the Texans have no business winning this game and they probably won’t, especially with the Bengals slowly starting to hit their stride at this point of the season.