It was a nightmare season for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023. After two-straight AFC Championship appearances, the Bengals finished just 9-8 and missed the playoffs entirely.
The campaign started off slow with an 0-2 record, but Cincinnati then went on a 5-1 run to bring their overall record to 5-3. The Bengals then lost two-straight games while also losing their star quarterback, Joe Burrow, in the process. Jake Browning tried to lead them on a late-season run but the Bengals ended up falling short of the postseason.
The bright side is they've placed the franchise tag on Tee Higgins and the team seems prepared to make another run at the Super Bowl with the same core of players.
Before the Bengals start thinking about the Super Bowl, though, they'll need to tackle the AFC North, arguably the best division in football. Let's dive into the odds to win the division in 2024 as well as the Bengals' chance to re-claim the AFC North crown.
2024 AFC North odds
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Bengals disrespected in AFC North odds
Despite returning with a healthy team, the Cincinnati Bengals are second on the odds list to win the division at +175, which translates to an implied probability of 36.36%. If you were to bet $100 on them to win the AFC North, you'd profit $175 if they're able to achieve the feat.
The Ravens won the division last year and are set at +100 favorites, which is an implied probability of 50%. Baltimore finished with the best record in the NFL, but let's remember the Bengals won the division the two years prior. Now that they're returning with a healthy roster, there's no reason to think they can't make a run at re-claiming the title.
For the Bengals to give the Ravens a run for their money, they need to address their defense this offseason. No team gave up more yards per play in 2023 than the Bengals at 6.0 yards per snap. They also finished 20th in opponent points per game at 22.6. The Ravens, meanwhile, had the best defense in the NFL in several metrics, so the Bengals need to make some moves to keep up.
With that being, Joe Burrow and the Bengals' receiving core boasts one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the entire NFL. If they get cooking, the race for the division is going to be a tight one, which means the Bengals present some great betting value at their current odds.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.