Bengals vs. Falcons Recap: Burrow Rolls, Bengals +6.5 Covers Easily

The Bengals beat the Falcons 34-17 in Atlanta, pulling away with 17 points in the second quarter. Atlanta scored first on a Michael Penix Jr. touchdown pass and led 10-7 after one, but Joe Burrow ran one in, hit Tee Higgins for a score and watched Evan McPherson drill a 57-yard field goal to make it 24-10 at the half. Bijan Robinson's 1-yard run pulled Atlanta within 7 in the third, and Burrow answered with another Higgins touchdown later in the quarter. Three DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

Bengals +6.5: CASHED

• Our read: Cincinnati had been scoring 30.6 points over its last ten and our numbers projected a 3.8-point Bengals edge against a main line of Bengals -3.5. Taking +6.5 added 10 points of cushion.
• What happened: Cincinnati won outright by 17, so the alt cleared by 23.5. The cushion was never needed after halftime.
• Worth watching: Burrow was sharp, completing 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns with no turnovers. When the Bengals offense plays clean, an alt spread like this has plenty of room.

ALT: Falcons under 29.5 team points (-245 DraftKings): CASHED

• Our read: Atlanta had averaged 21.7 points over its last ten, and we projected 22.3 against a line of 29.5.
• What happened: The Falcons finished with 17, 12.5 under. Their only second-half points came on the Robinson run.
• Worth watching: Atlanta threw for just 162 yards. When the Falcons passing game is held down like that, their team total has a ceiling, and a high alt rung on the under gives a wide margin.

ALT: Chase Brown 50+ rushing yards (-114 FanDuel): CASHED

• Our read: Brown had cleared 50 rushing yards in seven of his last ten games. At -114 (53% implied) we had it closer to 65%.
• What happened: Brown ran 9 times for 57 yards with a long of 19, clearing by 7.5. He added 3 catches for 18 yards.
• Worth watching: Nine carries is light. Samaje Perine got 11, so the backfield was split. Brown got there on efficiency at 6.3 a carry, which is less dependable than volume.

How the game played out

Ja'Marr Chase was the story for Cincinnati with 10 catches for 155 yards on 12 targets, including a 47-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Atlanta's ground game worked, with Robinson running 19 times for 100 yards and Penix adding 50 on 3 carries, and the Falcons outrushed Cincinnati 157 to 123. But the Bengals were 3-4 in the red zone and committed no turnovers, while Atlanta gave the ball away once.

Trends to watch

• Chase drew 12 targets. His receiving props deserve a look when the Bengals are throwing efficiently.
• The Cincinnati backfield split carries between Brown and Perine. That makes Brown's rushing yardage more matchup-dependent than his talent alone suggests.
• Robinson reached 100 rushing yards even in a loss. Atlanta keeps feeding him regardless of the score.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. Learn more about alt lines and team totals. More at /nfl.