Nolan Bianchi, Richard Silva, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News offer predictions for Sunday’s game between the Lions and Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati (4:25 p.m., Fox/97.1).

▶ Nolan Bianchi: This is an even bigger trap game than last week’s home game against the Browns; Cleveland at least had an elite defense and was coming off a win over one of Detroit’s division rivals. The Bengals have looked like a bottom-feeder in Jake Browning’s two starts, and while they’re probably not as bad as they’ve looked over the last two weeks — they’ve been outscored 76-13 in those games — I still think they’re a super bad football team right now. And since the Lions don’t feel like they played a strong game offensively last week, I expect them to come out on fire. Pick: Lions 52-7

▶ Richard Silva: Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL (especially on the road) but this one has a chance to get ugly, assuming the Lions continue rolling. The Bengals, averaging 165 total yards of offense over their last two games, are a mess without Joe Burrow. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are still elite, but backup quarterback Jake Browning has struggled to get them the ball. The run game hasn’t been much better, either; Chase Brown is averaging 2.3 yards per carry, the second-worst mark among qualified running backs. With some contenders still on the schedule, Detroit needs to handle business. Dan Campbell’s history tells us the team will. Pick: Lions, 38-14

▶ John Niyo: Cincinnati hasn’t been a frequent stop for the Lions over the years. It hasn’t been a friendly one, either, as the last two trips there ruined Matthew Stafford’s shoulder and ended Jim Caldwell’s tenure. But this Lions team is different than all those others. And these Bengals are headed nowhere this season without Joe Burrow, ranking last or nearly last in a laundry list of offensive categories: scoring, rushing, sacks allowed, turnovers, you name it. The injury concerns in Detroit’s secondary should be mitigated by the pass rush against a terrible Bengals offensive line. And since Cincinnati’s defense doesn’t seem capable of stopping the run right now, I’m not sure how they’ll manage to stop the Lions from scoring 30-plus points again this week. Especially since the Bengals are on a short work week after playing Monday night at altitude in Denver. Pick: Lions, 34-17

▶ Bob Wojnowski: This is a tricky one for the Lions. No, seriously, it is (or could be). The 2-2 Bengals are aimless without injured star Joe Burrow, and backup Jake Browning has been barely serviceable. The Bengals scored 13 total points their past two outings and their running game is the worst in the league. But, but. They do have a dynamic receiving tandem in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and a pass-rushing star in Trey Hendrickson (who has only two sacks). What makes this tricky? The parity of the NFL and Wojo’s trademarked Up-Down theory. The Lions are coming off three straight excellent outings, a difficult level to maintain. It’s also difficult for an NFL team to be awful several straight games. The Lions are missing top cornerback D.J. Reed and Cincinnati is at home and, oh boy, those receivers. Aw, never mind. Dan Campbell almost always has his team ready, so I’m willing to suspend the Up-Down theory for this one. Pick: Lions 37-24

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