The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off a serious high after Week 1, where their defense actually led them to victory. A far cry from what this team had to deal with the last few seasons. The four turnovers led directly to 24 of Cincinnati’s 27 points. That includes Demetrius Knight’s fumble recovery returned for a touchdown as the first score of the season for the Bengals.
Now a different test is on the horizon. The Houston Texans, with their ferocious pass rush, are ready to host Joe Burrow and company. The offense had a bit of a slow start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, especially in Goal-to-Go situations. That will need to be cleaned up, as those opportunities may not be as plentiful against this defense.
We will have to see how for real these two teams are, as it will be an early litmus test for both.
Here is everything you need to watch the Bengals take on the Texans for Week 2.
How to Watch Bengals at Texans
- Date/Time: September 20th at 1:00 pm ET
- Location: Houston, Texas at Reliant Stadium
- TV Channel: CBS
- Broadcasters: Play-by-Play Kevin Harlan, analyst Trent Green, and sideline reporter Melanie Collins
- Online Stream: Paramount+ (in market), NFL+ (in market), NFL Sunday Ticket (out of market), and NFL Game Pass International (International, excluding China)
- Radio Broadcast: Bengals Radio Network: Cincinnati flagship stations WCKY (1530), WEBN-FM (102.7), and WLW700. Click here to view full radio coverage, SiriusXM Ch. 265, Bengals-Texans game center nationwide on desktop, in-market on official Bengals mobile app.
- SB Nation Texans’ site: Battle Red Blog
- Rosters: CIN | HOU
- Series Leader: Houston leads the series, 9-5. That includes the Texans winning four of the last five.
- Weather: According to NFL Weather, the game will be in the 90’s and inside a dome.
- Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has the Bengals as 3-point underdogs, with an over/under of 46.5 points.
Predictions
- ESPN: two of six experts (at the time of writing) are taking Cincinnati
- CBS Sports: Two of the three experts (at the time of writing) are going with the Bengals
- Sporting News: Bengals win 30-28 covering the spread
Cincy Jungle: The Texans defense is going to be the major worry here. That pass rush will really test this offensive line that has been rolling since Burrow’s return midway through 2025. They will certainly need more from Ja’Marr Chase, who was held to just two catches for 12 yards last week.
Then there is the Houston offense that is still led by CJ Stroud. He looked good, but he was sacked three times. Cincinnati’s defense blitzed at the lowest level of any defense in Week 1, but they got the 10th most pressure on quarterbacks. That means the coverage was solid while the defensive line has been showing off its improvements.
Final Score: Bengals 31, Texans 20
