The Cincinnati Bengals partake in one of the most unpredictable games of the week when they visit the San Francisco 49ers.
Those 49ers have lost two in a row and it’s unknown whether the starting quarterback will play, yet remain dangerous.
And while the Bengals have won two in a row and Joe Burrow appears to be getting healthier than he has at any point this season, there’s nothing guaranteed about what looks like a trap game coming out of a bye.
But for ESPN’s Dan Graziano, this looks like the upset of the week in favor of the Bengals:
Yeah, it’s a road game for a Cincinnati team that hasn’t looked like itself just yet. But it’s also a short week for a banged-up 49ers team and the Bengals are coming off a bye. Joe Burrow should be the healthiest he’s been all year, and if the Bengals are going to assert themselves as real Super Bowl contenders the way they were the last couple of years, they’re going to have to win games like these. Tough one, but if it happens, remember where you heard it first. (And if it doesn’t, please forget …)
Even if the 49ers are favored at home, it feels like a coin-flip game, though. Star wideout Deebo Samuel is out and quarterback Brock Purdy is in concussion protocol, but even this upset pick of the week straddles the line.
This is a good thing, of course — it’s a must-see game between opponents that don’t see each other all that often.
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