The Divisional round of the 2022 NFL playoffs starts off with the Tennessee Titans hosting the Cincinnati Bengals.
Find out everything you need to know to watch and bet on this game by checking out the complete preview below.
This includes the start time, TV channel, live stream site, updated odds and betting lines for not only this Titans-Bengals clash, but also every game on the Divisional round schedule.
2022 NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round Viewing Guide
Matchup (Point Spread, Total), Time (TV, Live Stream)
Saturday, Jan. 22
- Bengals at Titans (-3.5, o/u 47.5), 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+).
- 49ers at Packers (-5.5, o/u 47), 8:15 p.m. ET (Fox, Fox Sports GO)
Sunday, Jan. 23
- Rams at Buccaneers (-2.5, o/u 48), 3:05 p.m. ET (NBC, NBC Sports Live)
- Bills at Chiefs (KC -2, o/u 54), 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
NFL Playoff Bracket
Titans (12-5) vs. Bengals (10-7) Preview
Matchup: AFC No. 1 vs. No. 4
Date: Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022
Start Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Watch: CBS
Live Stream: Paramount+
This matchup features the well-rested Titans beginning their playoff run after earning a bye through the Wild Card round. The AFC South champions finished with a 12-5 record this year, edging out the Kansas City Chiefs for the top seed due to a head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Bengals reached the Divisional round after vanquishing a gritty Las Vegas Raiders opponent last weekend. The AFC North champs finally ended a 31-year stretch without a playoff victory—the league’s longest such drought—in the process.
Cincinnati secured that win at home as favorites, but now must go on the road as an underdog to continue its journey through the NFL playoff bracket.
Tennessee is laying 3.5 points in this contest, which looks to be one of the most intriguing of the four postseason matchups this weekend.
The biggest question mark for the Titans is how Derrick Henry will hold up upon his return. The superstar running back has been out since the calendar flipped to November, missing the back half of the regular season with a foot injury.
Henry was having a dominant campaign before landing on the IR, racking up 937 yards and 10 touchdowns on a whopping 219 totes.
He finished the 2021 season ranking top-10 in all three of those categories despite only appearing in eight contests.
The Bengals aren’t the ideal opponent to return against after they ranked No. 5 in rushing defense this season.
Cincinnati only gave up an average of 93.5 rushing yards per game, an incredible improvement from last year’s unit that allowed 148.0 yards on the ground, the NFL’s fourth-worst mark.
Henry hasn’t had much historic success against the Bengals either, averaging just 82 yards and failing to score a single touchdown in two career matchups against the club.
Cincinnati won the last meeting in November 2020, a 31-20 rout in which then-rookie QB Joe Burrow carved up Tennessee’s defense for 249 yards and two scores while completing 70 percent of his passes with no sacks or interceptions.
Burrow’s been even better as a sophomore, recovering from a season-ending ACL injury to become one of the league’s top young signal-callers.
He wrapped up the regular season with 4,611 yards passing and 34 touchdowns, respectively the sixth- and eighth-best marks in the NFL.
The LSU product has been aided by the addition of former college teammate Ja’Marr Chase. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 draft has been a revelation for the Bengals, amassing 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Chase’s receiving yardage and scores were both amongst the top-four in the entire league this year.
The Burrow-Chase battery continued its successful run in the playoffs, connecting on nine of 12 targets for 116 yards against the Raiders.
Tennessee has been susceptible to the pass in 2021, allowing 245.2 yards per game to opposing QBs, making them the NFL’s No. 25 unit in that category. If Burrow and Chase get into an early rhythm, it could be a long day for the Titans.
Bengals at Titans AFC Divisional Odds
Point Spread: Titans -3.5
While the line on this game is relatively small, the public is overwhelmingly supporting the Titans in their 2022 NFL playoffs debut.
As of Friday afternoon, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of bets and a whopping 85 percent of the money wagered against the spread is on Tennessee to cover.
Despite this lopsided action, bookmakers have kept the line steady at TEN -3.5. It jumped to TEN -4 at some shops for a time, but was quickly bet back down to its initial mark.
Total: Over-under 47.5 points
Like the point spread, the total on this AFC Divisional round game has remained stable since going up on the board at 47.5.
The over-under is also seeing relatively one-sided public action, with 60 percent of tickets and 88 percent of the handle on the over.
Moneyline: TEN -185, CIN +155
Bettors wanting to take the Titans advancing to the AFC Championship Game by any margin of victory will have to risk $1.85 to win $1. These moneyline odds imply a 64.9 percent probability that Tennessee wins in the Divisional round.
Those backing the Bengals on Saturday will net $1.55 for each $1 staked if the team can win its second consecutive postseason contest. These odds imply a 39.2 percent probability of an upset.
The implied probability percentages add up to more than 100 due to the “vig”, the cut a sportsbook takes for facilitating a bet.
AFC Divisional Round Betting Trends: Bengals at Titans
- This will be the 77th all-time meeting between Cincinnati and Tennessee, but just the second in the playoffs. The Titans hold a 40-35-1 edge in the series, but lost the only prior postseason game back in 1991.
- These franchises have only met four times over the last decade, with Cincinnati owning a significant 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS advantage in that span.
- These were two of the best teams to bet on in 2021. Both Tennessee and Cincinnati went 10-7 against the spread (ATS) in the regular season, tying for the fifth-best cover rate in football.
- The Titans were one of the league’s best home teams this year, going 7-2 straight-up (SU) and 6-3 ATS. Tennessee went 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS at Nissan Stadium when favored.
- The Bengals traveled well this season, finishing with a 5-3 SU and 6-2 ATS record on the road. Cincinnati went 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS as a visiting underdog.
- Cincy has now covered in five consecutive weeks and outright won four of those games after securing a SU and ATS win over the Raiders in the Wild Card.
- The total has gone UNDER in four of the last six Bengals games, including each of their last two contests.
- The total has gone UNDER in four of Tennessee’s last five games.
- The total is 2-1-1 towards the over in the last four Tennessee-Cincinnati contests.
- The home team has won each of the last three Titans-Bengals matchups.
- The underdog has covered in each of the last two and three of the last four games between these foes.
NFL Playoff Predictions: Titans vs. Bengals
Spread Pick: Cincinnati +3.5
Total Pick: Over 47.5
Prediction: Bengals 27 – Titans 24
