CINCINNATI BENGALS ODDS: SUPER BOWL

Before free agency, the Bengals opened at +10000 to win Super Bowl LV, tied with Miami and Washington as second-last in the NFL (Jacksonville sits at +15000, per DraftKings). This means the Bengals have a 1% chance to win the Super Bowl, or are at 100/1 odds.

A $10 bet on the Bengals to win the Super Bowl could be used for something more productive, like a meal, but if the stars align and the Bengals win, that $10 bet would result in a $1,010 payout ($1,000 in winnings). While not impossible, the Bengals would be considered a heavy longshot, with that bet possibly becoming obsolete as early as Week 10 of the regular season.

CINCINNATI BENGALS ODDS: AFC NORTH

The AFC North is one of the most talented divisions in the NFL and should be a wild race to the finish. That wild race, however, is widely considered a three-way competition (many consider it two-way) and does not include the Bengals. While Cincinnati is five times more likely to win the AFC North than the Super Bowl, that only pushes their odds to just +2000, by far the lowest in the division entering the season. Baltimore sits as the current favorite, followed by Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. However, a $10 bet on Cincinnati to win could pay out $210 ($200 in winnings) should the Bengals pull off a miracle season.

CINCINNATI BENGALS ODDS: WIN TOTALS

After a 2-14 season, DraftKings lists the over/under for the Bengals win total at 5.5– a half a win less than last year’s implied total but 3.5 more wins than their 2019 actual total. To bet either over or under the implied win total would take $110 to win $100 (that $10 is referred to as the “vig” and acts as a payout for the oddsmaker). Most win total odds will have -110 odds, though that can vary depending on the team. Complete odds for Cincinnati’s 2020-21 win total look like:

• Over 5.5 wins (-110)
• Under 5.5 wins (-110)

If the Bengals finish the season 6-10 or better, the over on win totals would win and a $10 bet would win $9.09, with a total payout of $19.09 (the same applies for if the Bengals go 5-11 or worse and the under).

BENGALS 2019 RECAP

Record: 2-14
ATS: 6-9-1

As mentioned, not much was expected from the Bengals in 2019, though sportsbooks had higher expectations, setting the team win total over/under at six wins. They came up far short of six, amassing just one win before Week 17 and effectively winning the race for the top overall draft pick. After starting 0-8, longtime starting quarterback Andy Dalton was benched for rookie Ryan Finley. Finley was quickly exposed as not the future of the franchise, throwing two touchdowns on nearly 90 attempts (2.3% touchdown rate) and losing all three starts.

Neither quarterback was able to get anything going despite having suitable weapons at wide receiver (sans AJ Green, who missed the season with an injury) and running back. The offensive line was to blame, surrendering eight sacks in Week Four against Pittsburgh and allowing 48 sacks over the course of the season (T-9th most). The other half of the issue was game planning; Week 1 saw Andy Dalton throw 51 passes while giving star running back Joe Mixon just six carries. After Dalton was benched (temporarily) in Week 8, Mixon totalled 817 of his 1,137 total rushing yards (71.9%) and all five touchdowns. The team finished the season out 2-6 and was relatively more competitive.

Mixon willed his team to what production they had across the back half of the year and Cincinnati closed the year on a positive note — upsetting Cleveland in Week 17. On top of winning two of their last five games (NYJ, Week 13), the Bengals still secured the number one overall pick in the draft. Young receiver John Ross III, previously thought to be a first-round bust, showed glimpses of dominance, amassing 11 catches for 270 yards and three touchdowns in the first two weeks. Tyler Boyd also showed reliability, finishing the year with his second-straight 1,000-yard season.