The Bernabeu Stadium hosted a close but low-scoring contest last season when Miami Dolphins beat Washington Commanders 16-13 after overtime, but Spanish NFL fans should be treated to more touchdowns when Cincinnati Bengals take on Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The Bengals have won three in a row to stand at 5-2 for the season, while the Falcons have lost three of their last four games to slip to 3-5 in their first season under head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Playing in different conferences, the teams do not meet often but the Bengals have won their last three clashes in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Cincinnati Bengals v Atlanta Falcons Tips Summary
Best Bet - Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 @ 21/20
Alternative Bet - Over 52.5 points @ 10/11
Bet Builder - Chase Brown over 3.5 receptions, Ja'Marr Chase over 81.5 receiving yards & Bijan Robinson longest rush over 19.5 yards @ 24/5
Cincinnati Bengals v Atlanta Falcons Prediction
Best Bet: Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 @ 21/20
The Bengals appear to have returned to a previously successful formula to revive their fortunes in recent weeks and relying on their offence to outscore the opposition is working well.
Zac Taylor's side have seen off the Dolphins 31-24, Ravens 35-13 and Titans 43-36 to stand at 5-2 when they stepped on the plane to fly to Spain. That's not what they hoped for when they focused on improving their defence in the last off-season, but it is working.
That form might not be the most robust as the Dolphins and Titans are poor teams this year, while the Ravens were missing their starting quarterback, Lamar Jackson, but the Falcons are not in great shape either, and the free-scoring Bengals should be able to cover the handicap.
The Falcons played in a weird contest last week as they lost 16-0 to the Buccaneers in a game played in a severe rainstorm.
Tampa Bay won without completing a pass as the Falcons' defence just couldn't stop their running game. The Falcons did try to pass, but it worked out badly for them as QB Michael Penix Jr was intercepted four times.
That made it three losses in four games for Atlanta, who had gone down to the Ravens and Bears before ending the 49ers' unbeaten start to the year in Week 7, and an international game against a tough opposing team is not the ideal place to get back on track.
Alternative Bet: Over 52.5 points @ 10/11
Spanish NFL fans saw only 29 points scored in the first game at the Bernabeu last season, but they could be in for far more entertainment this year, with two of the more star-studded offensive units in the league set to put on a show.
The Bengals passing game is in full flow with QB Joe Burrow sending a stream of passes to elite wide receiver duo Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
However, the Falcons are not short on talent themselves, with running back Bijan Robinson the star of the show, while wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts are a danger to defences too.
Cincinnati's last three games have produced totals of 55, 48 and 79 points, and while the Falcons failed to get on the board in a downpour last week, they are capable of contributing to a high score in more favourable conditions.
Cincinnati Bengals v Atlanta Falcons Bet Builder Tip
- Chase Brown over 3.5 receptions
- Ja'Marr Chase over 81.5 receiving yards
- Bijan Robinson longest rush over 19.5 yards
Pays 24/5
Begin a three-leg Bet Builder on this NFL International Series game by taking Bengals running back Chase Brown to have at least four receptions.
Buccaneers running backs Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell destroyed the Atlanta defence last week but Brown has averaged only 48.6 rushing yards per game this year.
He does play a key role in the passing game, though, with 36 catches in seven games, and he has had four or more receptions in three of his last four games, including 11 against the Jaguars and eight against the Titans.
Tee Higgins has been the Bengals' leading receiver this season with an average of more than 100 per game but Ja'Marr Chase remains one of the league's elite receivers and he can have 82 or more receiving yards in Madrid.
Chase was back in form with 141 receiving yards against the Titans last week, when Burrow sent 16 passes his way and 11 of them were caught.
Complete the Bet Builder by taking Atlanta's Bijan Robinson to have at least one rush of over 19.5 yards.
The Bengals had trouble stopping Tennessee's running backs last week as Tony Pollard had 117 rushing yards, including one effort that went for 40 yards.
Robinson has had one rush of at least 23 yards in four of his last four games and should break at least one big run in Madrid.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
- The Falcons have lost three of their four regular season games played overseas
- The Bengals lead the NFL in passing yards per game at 288.4
- The Falcons have covered the handicap in only three of their first eight games
- The Bengals have won their last three games, scoring at least 31 points each time
- Five of the Bengals' seven games have gone over the expected points total
- Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr threw four interceptions against Tampa Bay last week
Tactics, Form and Team News
The Bengals (5-2 after beating the Titans 43-36 in overtime last week) hope that defensive end Cedric Johnson (ankle) and cornerback DJ Turner (heel) will be able to play in Madrid.
Safety Jordan Battle (hamstring) is another injury doubt and safety Kyle Dugger (quad) could miss the game.
The Falcons (3-5 after last week's 16-0 road loss against the Buccaneers) are likely to be without wide receiver Zachariah Branch (hamstring), while linebackers Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) and Devine Deablo (arm) are questionable.
Running back Brian Robinson Jr has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
Read more NFL betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
