Cincinnati (4-6) at LA Chargers (6-3) Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC/Peacock BetMGM NFL odds: Chargers by 1 1/2.
Against the spread: Bengals 6-4; Chargers 6-3. Series record: Chargers lead 22-14. Last meeting: Chargers beat Bengals 41-22 in Cincinnati on Dec.
5, 2021. Last week: Bengals lost to Baltimore 35-34; Chargers beat Tennessee 27-17. Bengals offense: overall (12), rush (29), pass (4), scoring (6).
Bengals defense: overall (23), rush (17), pass (23), scoring (26). Chargers offense: overall (22), rush (19), pass (22), scoring (19). Chargers defense: overall (6), rush (9), pass (9), scoring (1).
Turnover differential: Bengals even; Chargers plus-9. DE Trey Hendrickson leads the NFL with 11 sacks, but no other Cincinnati defender has more than two. Hendrickson has been something of a feast or famine pass rusher, notching at least two sacks in four games.
That includes four sacks against the Raiders in a Week 9 win. But Chargers QB Justin Herbert has taken two sacks in his past two games. OLB Tuli Tuipulotu had two of the defense’s seven sacks against the Titans.
It was Tuipulotu’s second straight game with at least two sacks, and all 5 1/2 of his QB takedowns this season have come over the past three outings. If the second-year player from Southern California can maintain his disruptive presence, veterans Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa and Bud Dupree can be more judicious in using their energy coming off the other edge. Chargers’ run offense vs.
Bengals DT B.J. Hill and Sheldon.
