3 bold predictions for Bengals-Falcons in Madrid

The Cincinnati Bengals landed in Madrid this morning for their overseas game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Below are some bold predictions for the matchup involving Joe Burrow, Michael Penix Jr. and the current betting markets.

Joe Burrow doesn't throw an interception

Burrow is coming off a three-interception game against the Titans and is in the midst of an interception-heavy season compared with his first seven games of each season from 2020 to 2026. He threw his most interceptions in a seven-game stretch in 2021, when he threw eight. Funnily enough, he was also throwing a lot of touchdowns, with 17, and completing passes at a high rate (68.9%).

That isn't close to his completion percentage this season, as he leads the league at 73%. It seems that when Burrow is throwing interceptions, he's also completing passes and throwing touchdowns. Quite the double-edged sword.

Atlanta has a minus-7 turnover differential and doesn't force takeaways often. Look for Burrow to bounce back against the Falcons' league-average defense and play a clean game.

Atlanta is held under 13 points

As mentioned before, Atlanta turns the ball over a lot. The Falcons are coming off a game in which Michael Penix Jr. threw four interceptions, and he is completing only 61.9% of his passes this season.

The most shocking thing about the Falcons' offense is that Bijan Robinson has been held under 100 yards for four straight games, and he hasn't scored a rushing or receiving touchdown in that span. In fact, he hasn't scored a receiving touchdown since Week 1.

Drake London, similarly, has struggled, with just one receiving touchdown this season, though he has eclipsed 100 yards twice, including a 9-catch, 194-yard performance in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers. That was Penix's first game of the season, and it made many think the Falcons had found their stride, but they have since slowed, losing three of their last five.

Bengals win by 10

This is basically an amalgamation of the other two predictions. The Falcons' offense is sputtering, and the defense isn't getting enough takeaways to beat a 5-2 Bengals team overseas. The return of pass rusher James Pearce Jr., who had 10.5 sacks in his rookie year, will boost Atlanta. But a motivated Bengals team that wants to prove it is better than last week's overtime win over the Titans will take care of business, covering the 3-point spread by plenty.