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Bengals Should Exceed Low Expectations

By Dylan Streibig

LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 26: Some of the more than 400 proposition bets for Super Bowl LI between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots are displayed at the Race & Sports SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on January 26, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 26: Some of the more than 400 proposition bets for Super Bowl LI between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots are displayed at the Race & Sports SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on January 26, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Expectations for the 2019 Cincinnati Bengals are pretty low. We now have an indication of just how low. It is time to take a deep dive.

CG Technologies are the first folks out of Las Vegas to release their projected regular season win totals for all 32 NFL teams. Vegas is right a lot more than they are wrong. Otherwise, sports betting would not be what it is.

Still, it is fun to try and spot places where the public may be able to make money. The Bengals over/under win total set at six is one of those places. Even at this early point in the offseason, taking the over on Cincinnati’s win total feels like easy money and here is why.

The Non-Divisional Schedule

The Bengals are not anything close to a complete football team and have holes, but they also have home games against the Jets, Cardinals, Jaguars, and 49ers as well as road games in Miami, Buffalo, and Oakland. That is seven games right there. Cincinnati is not head and shoulders above any of these teams.

However, with the possible exceptions of the Jets if Sam Darnold progresses and Le’Veon Bell is not rusty as well as the 49ers if they can finally get a full season out of jimmy Garoppolo, none of those teams have group of players that can come close to matching the sum of Andy Dalton, Joe Mixon, A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd in terms of offensive firepower. That foursome alone makes all seven of those games winnable, which puts you in over territory.

The Divisional Schedule

Additionally, Cincinnati’s division rivals also have significant issues. The Browns look like a great fantasy football team. Despite that, the truth is guys like Kareem Hunt and Odell Beckham Jr. were available for reasons that have nothing to do with football. Cleveland has several guys with a lot of baggage and a first time head coach. They are no more likely to reach the playoffs than they are to crash and burn.

The changes in Baltimore and Pittsburgh are well documented. One still has a future Hall of Fame quarterback and the other has never needed one to be successful. It is foolish to fully discount either, but they are no longer the unquestioned bosses of the AFC North. The Bengals are going to win a divisional game or two at the very least in 2019.

Conclusion

As for the Bengals roster, it has the offensive talent to bother anyone, an offensive minded head coach overseeing it for the first time in a long time, and a defense that has nowhere to go but up. When you put it all together, it is clear that the first over/under win projection for the Bengals is at least two games too low.

Want to read more about Cincinnati’s offseason? Be sure to check out all of our Bengals coverage on Stripe Hype!

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