The Cincinnati Bengals are underdogs when they face the Buffalo Bills in the 2023 NFL Divisional Round. The Bengals were favored to defeat the Baltimore Ravens in the first round a week ago, and they did just that. That's obviously a bit different this time around since they're playing a 13-3 club that just won its own playoff game. That said, let's look at our bold predictions for the Bengals as they face the Bills.

The Bengals are currently on a nine-game winning streak and secured the AFC North title by defeating teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Ravens. They have a strong quarterback in Joe Burrow and talented playmakers like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Despite this, the Bengals have struggled against divisional opponents in the playoffs. Remember that they just barely beat the Ravens, 24-17, during Super Wild Card Weekend.

For our Bengals-Bills preview and full Divisional playoff predictions, listen below:

On the other end of the field, the Bills also have a solid defense, strong skill players, and a star quarterback in Josh Allen. They are coming off an eight-game winning streak and had a close game against the Dolphins last week. Both teams are expected to perform well offensively in their upcoming game in Buffalo, making this a potentially very entertaining and close game.

That said, here are four predictions for the Bengals in the playoffs as they face the Bills in the Divisional Round.

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4. Bengals ground game remains muted

The reality is that the Bengals have a weak running game. In fact, they rank near the bottom of the league in both rushing yards per game and yards per attempt. In their recent playoff game against the Ravens, RB Joe Mixon had limited success. He rushed for just 39 yards and caught three passes for 17 yards. The team struggled to move the ball against Baltimore's defense. Despite this, it is expected that Mixon will have a larger workload in their next game against the Bills. Even if that happens, though, we expect Mixon's production to still be a bit too muted for the Bengals to win.

3. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will be limited

The Bills basically play better at home, which is something for coach Zac Taylor to consider as they head into this Divisional Round matchup. Meanwhile, the Bengals' top playmakers, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, will need to step up against the Bills' secondary.

Take note that in the recent playoff game against the Ravens, Chase caught 9-of-12 targets for 84 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Higgins caught 4-of-6 targets for 37 yards and scored a two-point conversion. They will have to work extra hard to keep getting big yardage against the Bills' Tre'Davious White and Kaiir Elam. Those two guys had pretty good success against the Dolphins, limiting both Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. As such, we expect both Chase and Higgins to be somewhat limited here as well. We have them combined for just under 150 yards.

2. Joe Burrow gets sacked a bunch again

In the recent playoff game against the Ravens, Burrow completed 22-of-32 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown. He also threw a two-point conversion. Burrow also added nine rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on five attempts. The Ravens were able to hold him to less than 220 passing yards for the third time this season.

Despite this, the Bengals were able to win. Burrow will face a tougher Bills defense in the next round. He may also be hindered by the absence of three of the team's five starting offensive linemen, as well as the likelihood of being sacked a handful of times. Despite these challenges, it is expected that he will put up 290+ yards, with two touchdowns, and one interception.

1. Bengals fall short

Interestingly enough, we believe that Buffalo does not instill much fear in the Bengals. Recall that back in Week 17, before play was stopped, the Bengals chose to take the ball to start the game and successfully scored a touchdown. The Bengals feel confident that they can move the ball against the Bills' defense. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, though.

Last week, the Dolphins receivers were able to get past the Bills' corners but were unable to catch the ball. Joe Burrow will have to be smart about how he plays Buffalo's secondary here even if he has talented receivers in Chase and Higgins.

Bengals fans should also be worried about Burrow's pass protection and the Bills' home-field advantage. It's worth noting that the Bills had a strong record of 7-1 at Orchard Park this season.

We are, of course, looking forward to the Burrow x Allen matchup the most. Both have a wealth of talented playmakers, and we expect a fully exciting game. It's almost never smart to bet against Joe Cool, but that's exactly what we're doing here. This will be a high-scoring affair. Both teams will combine for a total of 60+ points, but the Bengals will fall just short of advancing.