The Cincinnati Bengals have a new coach from the Sean McVay coaching tree, and are hoping they can turn things around like the Rams did in McVay’s first year in Los Angeles. It won’t be an easy task for Zac Taylor, who takes over a group with some serious talent deficiencies. Andy Dalton is still the quarterback in Cincinnati, but his time could be running short if the team doesn’t show marked improvement and push for the playoffs. The current NFL odds believe that goal is pretty optimistic as it would be a surprise to see the Bengals in the postseason.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Bengals odds to make the playoffs
Yes +625
No -1100
Bengals Playoff Odds Analysis
The Bengals finished only 6-10 a year ago, although they did have to weather injuries to both Dalton and superstar wide receiver A.J. Green. The issue now is that Green is hurt again and is expected to miss a chunk of the regular season.
Cincinnati is a heavy underdog to make the playoffs, especially because winning a division that also includes the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers seems extremely far-fetched. Cincinnati will play those teams twice apiece in the regular season and also face off against the Seahawks, 49ers, Bills, Cardinals, Jaguars, Rams, Raiders, Jets, Patriots and Dolphins.
There are some winnable games on the schedule but Cincinnati will still have to pull off myriad upsets to be in playoff contention.
Cincinnati Bengals Odds
The Bengals need Dalton to really step up and have a huge year if this team has any hope of turning things around and finishing above .500. Cincinnati was 5-5 last year when Dalton went down and was not very competitive down the stretch without him. If the Bengals finish with one of the worst records in the league as expected, they could be on the lookout for a new quarterback.
Cincinnati could have a strong running game, as Joe Mixon returns to lead the way there. There is a definite lack of options in the passing game without Green early in the year, which is going to make things tough. The Bengals tried to get some protection for Dalton in the first round of the draft by selecting tackle Jonah Williams, but he was lost to a season-ending injury before the preseason began.
The defense was up and down a year ago and needs to pull its weight. Linebacker Vontaze Burfict has moved on, but he was sometimes more trouble than he was worth despite being a good player. Cornerback William Jackson and defensive tackle Geno Atkins lead the way for this group, but there seem to be a number of holes among the starters. The offense could struggle early on without Green, and if the defense doesn’t slow down opponents it could be a bad start for the Bengals.
Key Stats or Trends
Longtime coach Marvin Lewis and the organization mutually agreed to part ways after the 2018 season, and Taylor has been brought in to give a new offensive vision to the team. He is dealing with a shortage in playmakers so it will be interesting to see how the team looks in 2019. Cincinnati has long odds to make the playoffs this year and it is easy to understand why, between questions about talent and a division filled with challenging foes.
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