The injury, and the speculation surrounding the nature of the injury, had sports bettors, Bengals fans, and fantasy sports owners alike worried about their Bengals and Burrow-related wagers.
Joe Burrow carted off of #Bengals practice field.
Burrow down on the field after a misstep in team period – here is the play. | @WLWT pic.twitter.com/aCBaMWx5xh
— Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayTV) July 27, 2023
What Happened to Burrow?
Burrow suffered a calf strain on a routine preseason drill that, according to head coach Zac Taylor, would cause the Bengals starting QB to miss “several weeks.” Taylor added nothing else about the injury, and Cincinnati signed former XFL QB Reid Sinnett as the Bengals’ third QB on the depth chart.
What does this Mean for Cincinnati?
The main thing for Cincinnati is that Burrow will miss the entire preseason. He won’t have the reps with the 1st team offense and probably won’t play in any preseason games. Neither should be an issue–Burrow played four snaps during the 2021 preseason and missed the entire 2022 preseason after having his appendix removed during the 2022 preseason.
Signing Sinnett was designed to bring in a third QB to take some of the snaps and throws and reduce the workload of backups Trevor Siemien and Jake Browning. There are many wideouts in Bengals camp, and a third QB in camp will allow these players to get their reps without overtaxing the arms of Simien and Browning.
The Bengals reached the Super Bowl in 2021 and the AFC Championship game in 2022, so I don’t believe Burrow missing the preseason will make that much of a difference.
Cincinnati Bengals Betting Odds
- Super Bowl 2024 Championship Odds +1100
- 2023-2024 AFC Conference Championship +550
- 2023-2024 NFC North Champion +150
- To Make the Playoffs Yes (-255), No (+215)
- 2023-2024 Wins Over 10.5 (-135), Under 10.5 (+110)
Bengals Team Betting Odds Analysis
Two things I learned a long time ago were not to make a hasty decision about a non-contact preseason injury and never make a decision based on something an NFL player does wearing just a helmet and a pair of shorts.
That’s what has happened in this situation, and smart bettors can take advantage of this situation like I did, grabbing Bengals +1 from Bengals -2.5. That number is gone, but I was paying attention and got really lucky.
The Bengals Super Odds fell from opening at +900 but is now +1100 at DraftKings OH. That’s a good price, and Cincinnati has reached the previous two AFC Championship games, with Burrow taking a combined four preseason snaps during those two seasons.
If you were considering betting on the Bengals to win the Super Bowl, don’t let the injury news scare you off that bet.
Cincinnati opened at +550 to win the AFC Championship, and the best price for this bet is at BetRivers OH (+600). The Bengals have reached two consecutive AFC Championship games with one victory, and +600 is a price to pay for this future wager.
The Bengals are still favored to win the AFC North (+150) and should win the division. The odds aren’t that good, but if Cincinnati somehow loses their season opener against AFC North rival Cleveland Browns, those odds will soar, and we’ll be able to get a better price than +150 by just being patient.
Cincinnati’s making the playoff odds and win totals should probably be left alone. -255 is too much juice to lay on a future playoff bet, and they’ll likely win more than 10.5 games, but -135 is also too much juice to pay for this NFL Futures wager.
Joe Burrow 2023-2024 Future Odds
- 2023-2024 MVP Award (+750)
- Most Regular Season Passing Yards (+750)
- Most Regular Season Passing TDs (+450)
Burrow Future Odds Analysis
I liked Burrow to win the 2023-2024 NFL MVP Award earlier this month, and this calf injury hasn’t changed that opinion. If Cincinnati goes to Super Bowl LVIII, then Burrow will likely be responsible for that success. He’s the Bengals’ star player, has led his team to two consecutive AFC Championship games, and reached Super Bowl LVI. So pulling the trigger at +750 now isn’t a bad idea at all.
For more betting advice and info on sports betting in Ohio, keep checking our posts at OH Betting.
