Starting 0-2 was not something Cincinnati Bengals fans predicted for a team that was playing for a Super Bowl title just shy of eight months ago. Yet, that's the exact situation the team has found themselves in after last-second field goals by the Steelers and Cowboys in back-to-back weeks.
While people might typically look to a game against the Jets as an "easy win", Bengals fans are thinking no such thing. The Jets stunned the red-hot Bengals last year and humbled them mightily at the time and then, more recently, they came from behind double digits to beat the Browns in Cleveland. These might not be the Jets we've grown accustomed to.
Even with that being the case, experts believe that the Bengals can get their first win this weekend.
Expert picks for Bengals vs Jets Week 3
The only two people to pick the Jets out of all of the three sites I included for this post were both from Bleacher Report. Ian Kenyon and Kristopher Knox think that the Bengals will still be winless when this Week 3 game is said and done but the other five experts went with Cincinnati to get their first victory of the young season.
All five writers from the MMQB staff are going with the Bengals, so there isn't much to unpack there.
Lastly, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports sees a big win for the Bengals. He predicted the stripes to win it 31-19 over the Jets.
"The Bengals are staring 0-3 in the face if they lose to a Jets team coming off an impressive road victory over the Browns. The Bengals have started slow the past two weeks, but I think that changes in this game. Look for Joe Burrow to have a fast start and roll up some big passing yards. Bengals take it."Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
FanDuel has the Bengals as 6-point favorites over the Jets and with the home team getting three points, that means Cincinnati would be 9-point favorites otherwise. People are certainly disrespecting the Jets here and this game could be much closer than what everyone is anticipating.
Will the Bengals go 0-3 or can they get their first win of the season?