This article is part of our NFL Picks series.
Cincinnati Bengals 
at San Francisco 49ers 
Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions for
NFL Week 8
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The Bengals went into a Week 7 bye off a gritty 17-13 home win versus the Seahawks. Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense started the game clicking on all cylinders before slowing down considerably, but a stout defensive performance helped the Bengals squeak out the victory, their second straight.
Meanwhile, the 49ers went into Minnesota on Monday night as solid road favorites against a Justin Jefferson-less Vikings squad, but they fell victim to a stellar performance from the Kirk Cousins-Jordan Addison duo and ultimately dropped their second straight by a 22-17 score. To make matters worse, Brock Purdy emerged from the game with concussion-like symptoms and went into league protocol, although he's trending toward suiting up Sunday.
Bengals @ 49ers Betting Odds for Week 8
*Best lines at time of writing listed
Moneyline: 49ers -225 (DraftKings Sportsbook)/ Bengals +190 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Point spread: 49ers -4.5 (BetMGM Sportsbook)/ Bengals +5.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Totals: Over 43.5 points (DraftKings Sportsbook)/ Under 43.5 points (FanDuel Sportsbook)
The spread for this game is surprisingly narrow and has come down from its pre-Week 7 figure, but that's what two straight losses for the 49ers will do. Nevertheless, the fact San Fran is still a heavy moneyline favorite indicates the money continues to come in heavy on the Niners, even with doubt surrounding Purdy's status an overarching theme this week.
That same factor presumably is keeping this total exceedingly modest, and it's one I think is prudent to jump on while it's at that figure (given it's likely to rise if Purdy is officially confirmed as available). With the Bengals coming off a bye and Burrow likely feeling the best he has yet this season, we should see at least a total in the high 40s, even with Deebo Samuel still sidelined for the hosts.
Bengals @ 49ers Betting Picks This Week
This bet is written with the presumption that Purdy will indeed suit up Sunday and operate without any restrictions. Under such a scenario, I see San Francisco having enough to snap its two-game funk in front of the home crowd, even with Samuel still sidelined.
The Niners have admittedly been in a funk over the last two games, a pair of defeats where they've only scored 17 points apiece. However, there have been some extenuating circumstances, and although great teams the caliber of which San Fran envisions itself to be overcome such obstacles regularly, there are inevitably games each season that come down to a handful of plays.
That factor, combined with the in-game losses of Christian McCaffrey and Samuel in the Week 6 loss to the Browns and the ongoing absence of Samuel in Week 7, certainly played a part in the offense's sluggishness. So, too, did the matchup against a pair of aggressive defenses in those of Cleveland and Minnesota that put Purdy on his heels much more than he's used to.
It's easy to forget Purdy is still very light on NFL experience, given he's typically operated with a Brady-like calm befitting a much more seasoned player. Yet, that same demeanor will help him get through the unavoidable bumps in the road like he's had in the last two games and revert to form.
The Bengals have been very good at applying pressure and have recorded 19 sacks, but Purdy should have the luxury of leaning heavily on McCaffrey and the other pieces of the ground attack in Week 8. Cincy is allowing the fifth-most yards before first contact per carry (1.49) in the league, along with an elevated 4.7 yards per carry to running backs.
Additionally, on the other side, Cincy is in a precarious spot in terms of becoming one-dimensional quickly on the offensive end of things. Joe Mixon has only averaged 3.8 yards per carry to begin with, and he's now up against a Niners defense yielding only 3.9 yards per carry to RBs and a minuscule 63.7 rush yards per home contest.
Burrow should be the most mobile he's been yet coming off the bye week, and there's no question the San Fran secondary showed plenty of vulnerability Monday night against Minnesota.
Nevertheless, the Niners' fearsome pass rush is bound to start getting home more often – there's an unsustainable 35%-10% gulf between their pressure rate and sack conversion rate, per PFF – and that could start narrowing against a Bengals O-line that's allowed a 19% sack conversion rate on a 23% pressure rate, even with Burrow's physical limitations due to his calf strain accounting for some of that number.
Ultimately, I see the Niners having a bit more in the tank despite the short week, with the home crowd and the incentive to snap a two-game skid putting them over the top. However, there are too many talented offensive pieces on either side here for the Under to hit, so I'm parlaying that with the moneyline to get a nice price.
Bengals at 49ers Best Bets: Same-Game Parlay- 49ers moneyline and Over 43.5 points (+160 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
Bengals @ 49ers Prediction
49ers 27, Bengals 20
As already explained, this should be a tight battle between two teams with plenty of talent on either side of the ball. However, assuming Purdy plays, I see him righting his ship after a couple of uncharacteristically uneven outings and helping his team to a victory. The Bengals should be in this game until late in the fourth quarter, however, with Burrow likely leveraging his improved health to hit on some chunk plays through the air and keep his team close.
