by Chuck Sommers
Monday, Aug 16, 2021
Game time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: FedEx Field, Landover, MD
Where to watch: NFL Network
Preseason records
Bengals: 1-0 (19-14 win at Tampa Bay)
Football Team: 0-1 (22-13 loss at New England Patriots)
Preseason Week 1 stats leaders
Bengals:
Passing: Kyle Shurmur -- 108 yards, 1 interception
Rushing: Jacques Patrick -- 71 yards
Receiving: Trenton Irwin -- 35 yards
Sacks: Darius Hodge -- 1.5
Interceptions: Kavon Frazier, Trayvon Henderson -- 1
Buccaneers:
Passing: Blaine Gabbert -- 64 yards
Rushing: Ke’Shawn Vaughn -- 27 yards
Receiving: Tanner Hudson -- 48 yards
Tackles: Antonio Hamilton -- 6
Interceptions: Joe Jones, Javon Hagan -- 1
Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: WFT -4.5, Bengals +4.5
BetMGM: WFT -4.5, Bengals +4.5
FanDuel: WFT -5, Bengals +5
Larry Ness went 3-1-1 last week in the first set of NFL Preseason games. Keep an eye on our Shop Picks page to see what Larry and our other champion handicappers will do this week. Don’t miss that big winner, or any of their premium picks.
Bengals - Football Team preview
Joe Burrow will likely see his first preseason action on Friday with the Cincinnati Bengals when they visit the Washington Football Team at FedEx Field for the teams’ second preseason games.
Burrow, the No. 1 pick from the 2020 NFL Draft out of LSU, is expected to make his return to the field for the first time since Nov. 22, 2020 when he suffered a knee injury and underwent reconstructive surgery.
The Bengals’ rising star went 2-7-1 in his rookie year, but threw for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
But reports out of Cincinnati indicate Burrow has struggled heavily during training camp, throwing bizarre interceptions and not displaying that pinpoint accuracy that made him the top pick last year. The Bengals have insisted they don’t want the quarterback to play, but Burrow wants to get some reps in and get some comfortability factor with the offense.
With only a few weeks before the regular season, if Burrow wants to be locked in for the first Sunday of the NFL calendar, they may want to oblige his wishes, especially to get him some reps with this year’s No. 5 pick Ja’Marr Chase.
The Bengals will see the reigning NFC East champions, coming off a solid 19-14 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. The Washington Football Team could see the debut of veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, as he begins a quarterback battle with Taylor Heinicke.
The WFT got a great showing from its first-team defense on Aug. 12 in the limited reps they got, primarily from Chase Young with this ridiculous sack on Cam Newton.
Coach Ron Rivera has already made his mark on this defense, and it’ll be an interesting matchup for a late-August showdown. If Young and that defensive line can take another step forward from last season, it could be another two-team race between Washington and the Dallas Cowboys.
RIP to the Philadelphia Eagles, though Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco would bring forth the memes.
Betting trends
The Washington squad is 6-2 against the spread in its last eight games.
Prediction
We’re still some weeks away from the NFL season getting underway, but expect the competition to be turned up a bit. Washington fans should be excited for this team, at least on the defensive side. Fitzpatrick will bring the noise at some point. Right now, it’s a good time to be a Washington Football Team supporter. Football Team wins 21-14.
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
