Posted on: November 10, 2023, 02:28h.
Last updated on: November 10, 2023, 02:28h.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will sit out Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans due to a hamstring injury.
Higgins was already nursing a fractured rib, but the Bengals listed him as “out” according to the latest injury report.
Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Charlie Jones are listed as questionable in Week 10. Chase expects to play, and Jones will be a game-time decision.
Defensive end Sam Hubbard will also miss Sunday’s game against the Texans due to an ankle injury. Defensive tackle Josh Tupou is doubtful to play this week.
Tough-Guy Higgins Sidelined
Quarterback Joe Burrow finally recovered from a calf injury, which initially occurred in the preseason. Burrow aggravated the calf strain toward the end of the second game of the season. Even though Burrow did not miss any games, the calf injury slowed him down and the Bengals offense struggled. The Bengals started out 0-2 and were 1-3 through Week 4.
Burrow’s recovery coincided with a four-game winning streak, including three wins after a bye in Week 7. The Bengals recently beat three teams that made the playoffs last season. They defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6, the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8, and the Buffalo Bills in Week 9.
Burrow is fresh off his best performance of the season in a 24-18 victory over the Bills. He lit up the Bills for 348 yards and two touchdowns.
Higgins led the Bengals with eight exceptions for 110 yards against the Bills. He fractured a rib against the Titans in Week 4, but had been playing through the pain.
Tee is a tough guy,” said head coach Zac Taylor.
Higgins tweaked his hamstring in practice earlier this week. Taylor said that Higgins is considered week-to-week with his latest injury, but he will not play against the Texans.
Higgins, a second-round pick from the 20220 NFL Draft out of Clemson, is in the fourth and final year of his initial rookie contract.
Higgins caught 27 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns this season. He recorded 21 touchdowns during his first three seasons and tallied 205 receptions. He passed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of the last two seasons.
Chase Expects to Play with Sore Back
Chase, the star wide receiver for the Bengals, had a nasty and scary fall against the Bills on Sunday. He underwent X-rays and an MRI, which did reveal anything serious. He was diagnosed with a bruised back.
The Bengals kept Chase out of practice on Wednesday, and he was limited on Thursday and Friday. Even though he’s listed as questionable, Chase told reporters that he intends to play against the Texans on Sunday.
Feels better than Monday,” said Chase. “Got a lot more movement, so it felt a lot better. In my head, I’m playing, you know what I’m saying? So, until further notice and anything else, then we’ll see.”
Chase, the fifth-overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, played with Burrow at LSU. Chase tallied 64 receptions for 67 yards and four touchdowns this season. He didn’t see the endzone in the first four games of the season while Burrow struggled with a calf injury.
Chase exploded for a season-high 15 catches for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a breakthrough performance against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.
Tyler Boyd will have a chance to make an impact in Week 10 with Chase battling a sore back, and Higgins out. Boyd has 36 catches for 300 yards and two touchdowns this season. Backup wide receivers Trenton Irwin and Andrei Iozivas will also move up the depth chart this week.
Betting the Banged-Up Bengals
The Bengals are -6.5 favorites against the Houston Texans, who had 23 players listed on the injury report earlier this week.
The Texans are 4-4 against the point spread (ATS), and the Bengals are 4-3-1 ATS this season. The Bengals are 4-0 ATS during their current winning streak. They struggled with a 0-3-1 ATS stretch to start the season.
All four teams in the AFC North have winning records. The Baltimore Ravens (7-2) are in first place in the NFL’s “Smashmouth Division.” The Bengals (5-3) have the same record as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.
The Bengals are 0-2 in AFC North games this season, but have four more games to improve their divisional record.
The Ravens are the betting favorite to win the AFC North at -130 odds. The Bengals are their closest competition at +270 odds, followed by the Browns (+600), and Steelers (+850).
The Bengals are -300 odds to make the playoffs, and you can back them at +235 odds to miss the postseason. The Browns are -150 odds to advance to the postseason, and the Steelers are +140 odds.
The Bengals made back-to-back trips to the AFC Championship. They seek second conference crown in the last three seasons, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs last postseason. The Bengals are +600 odds to win the AFC title. Only the Chiefs (+230) and Ravens (+450) have better odds to ship the conference crown.
The Bengals are now +1200 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII and listed eighth overall on DraftKings’ NFL futures board. They saw their Super Bowl odds improve thanks to a healthy Burrow during their surge.
