The Bengals’ odds get longer to win the AFC Conference championship. DraftKings OH offers the Bengals AFC Championship odds (+1000), and Cincinnati is a +1600 long shot to win Super Bowl LVIII.
Join me as I take a closer look at what the bookmakers are offering for those of you interested in making a mid-season futures bet on the Cincinnati Bengals.
Can the Bengals win the 2023 AFC North?
Six months ago, +300 would’ve been a steal. The Bengals reached their second consecutive AFC Conference Final, and 2023-2024 appeared to be their year. However, a preseason injury to quarterback Joe Burrow caused him to miss the entire preseason, and as a result, Cincinnati lost three of their first four games.
Two divisional away losses to Cleveland and Pittsburgh stung, but a 27-3 away loss to Tennessee seems to have been the catalyst for their current three-game winning streak.
The Bengals offense has been inconsistent, but it is improving. In two of their last three games, it has scored 30 points or more, including 31 against a darn good 49ers defense at San Francisco. I think the offense will be fine, but the defense allows the 16th-fewest points and 27th-most total yards per game, which could be problematic.
Baltimore is the -115 favorite at DraftKings to win the AFC North. They have a 6-2 record despite missing up to ten different starters earlier this season. The Ravens are 1-1 in the division but have a Week 10 home game with Cleveland and host Cincinnati the following weekend. The Browns’ defense is tough to deal with, and Baltimore won by a three-point margin over a different Bengals offense.
The division will come down to Cincy or Baltimore. The Bengals are beginning to look legit, but they have a potentially difficult Week 9 home matchup with Buffalo and away matchups with Baltimore, Jacksonville, and Kansas City.
The optimist says DraftKings has Cincinnati -150 to make the playoffs, which means maybe there is still a chance for the Bengals to win the AFC Championship and Super Bowl LVIII.
Can the Bengals win the 2023 NFL AFC Championship?
If Cincinnati doesn’t win the AFC North, then they would need to win one of the three AFC Wild Cards. The Bengals are ninth on the AFC Wild Card table, and if the AFC Wild Card Round were today, Cincinnati would miss the playoffs.
Their remaining division games will be the key to their postseason future. They need to beat Pittsburgh twice and beat Cleveland on the final day, and they should win a Wild Card.
Going on to win the AFC Championship would be daunting. Cincinnati’s defense is hit or miss, and the offense has been inconsistent. The good thing for Cincinnati is no AFC team stands out as a “must-bet.” That being said, their schedule is difficult, and I believe 2023 will be a lost season for the Bengals.
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