It’s now five years and counting since the Cincinnati Bengals last went over their season win total odds at online sportsbooks with a high of seven wins. The team’s number to beat went off the board at 6 with decent sized vigorish attached to the over a season ago, but an inability to protect stud rookie QB Joe Burrow only saw the team post a 4-12 SU overall record. Had the former No. 1 draft pick received ample protection from his front wall, Cincy likely would’ve surpassed its win total just like the betting markets expected at the outset of the season. While the arrow looks to be pointed upwards from an offensive standpoint heading into 2021-22, NFL bettors don’t seem to be buying into Cincy improving its overall record by three games. With the AFC North one of the toughest divisions in the league top to bottom and upper management doing very little to shore up the O-Lines inefficiencies – the unit conceded 48 sacks (No. 28) – it makes perfect sense to see the Bengals 6.5-game season win total being faded by early futures odds bettors.
Cincinnati Bengals Season Win Total: 6.5 Under -121
Though Cincy’s 4-11-1 overall record left much to be desired, the fact that the team went on to cover nine of its 16 played games against the closing NFL odds has many bullish about the team’s future moving forward. That includes oddsmakers who set Zac Taylor’s squad’s number to beat a half win higher than it did for Burrow’s rookie campaign. Had the former LSU QB’s knee not been blown up in Week 10, it’s certainly within the realm of possibility that Cincinnati snapped its under win total streak last season. Along with taking on the AFC North, the Bengals find themselves in the dubious position off being forced to square off against the AFC West and NFC North along with standalone games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers. Because of it, the betting markets are fading the Bengals on the win total odds with -121 juice currently attached to the low side of the impost.
NFL Regular Season Wins Odds at BookMaker
Cincinnati Bengals Football Schedule
Week 1: Vikings at Bengals, Sunday, September 12, 1 p.m. ET
Week 2: Bengals at Bears, Sunday, September 19, 1 p.m. ET
Week 3: Bengals at Steelers, Sunday, September 26, 1 p.m. ET
Week 4: Jaguars at Bengals, Thursday, September 30, 8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network
Week 5: Packers at Bengals, Sunday, October 10, 1 p.m. ET
Week 6: Bengals at Lions, Sunday, October 17, 1 p.m. ET
Week 7: Bengals at Ravens, Sunday, October 24, 1 p.m. ET
Week 8: Bengals at Jets, Sunday, October 31, 1 p.m. ET
Week 9: Browns at Bengals, Sunday, November 7, 1 p.m. ET
Week 10: Bye Week
Week 11: Bengals at Raiders, Sunday, November 21, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 12: Steelers at Bengals, Sunday, November 28, 1 p.m. ET
Week 13: Chargers at Bengals, Sunday, December 5, 1 p.m. ET
Week 14: 49ers at Bengals, Sunday, December 12, 1 p.m. ET
Week 15: Bengals at Broncos, Sunday, December 19, 1 p.m. ET
Week 16: Ravens at Bengals, Sunday, December 26, 1 p.m. ET
Week 17: Chiefs at Bengals, Sunday, January 2, 1 p.m. ET
Week 18: Bengals at Browns, Sunday, January, 9, 1 p.m. ET
Cincinnati Bengals Season Win Total Analysis
I invested on the under last year taking the stance of fading Burrow and company until they proved worthy of buying into. Boy was I lucky! The only reason the ticket ended up being cashed was because of Burrow’s season-ending knee injury. Had he not taken that final sack of the season, there’s no way they wouldn’t have at least pushed if not gone over with three wins already in the bag and four of their final six regular season games taking place in the comforts of Paul Brown Stadium. Because of it, I was bullish on the Bengals heading into the 2021 NFL draft thinking upper management would snag a franchise lineman to protect Burrow’s blind side for years to come. The perfect candidate, in my opinion, to hold that job down was Oregon’s Penei Sewell. Owners of the No. 5 overall pick, I felt the big man was a lock to get drafted onto the Bengals roster. Much to my surprise – and disgust – the Bengals elected to select Ja’Marr Chase instead and add to its already impressive wide receiver corps. If you read my stuff this season and Cincinnati continues to concede sacks by the bucket loads, you’ll hear me chastising Duke Tobin for cow towing to Burrow and allowing him to reunite with his college teammate instead of dramatically improving one of the gaping wide holes along the line. Don’t be shocked when Burrow doesn’t nestle in under center for all 17 games; it’s gonna happen!
I personally think this is going to be a catastrophic season for the Bengals, and they’ll have nobody to blame but themselves when it’s all said and done. I can’t harp enough about how poor a decision it was to select Chase with the No. 5 pick. While he could go on to win the Rookie of the Year Award with Cincy partaking in a number of shootouts due to the defense still likely being one of the worst units in the league, the decision made no sense and Bengals’ brass isn’t hearing enough about it. I can almost guarantee you linemakers would’ve had their season win total in the 7 to 7.5-win range had they gone the Sewell route instead. The schedule is unforgiving as well with it ranked out as the eighth toughest per the folks at Sharp Football Stats. The only great thing the Bengals got going for them schedule-wise is that 16 of their 17 played games will take place on Sunday in either the early or late afternoon time slots. It’s telling that the major networks only decided to telecast one of their matchups, and it comes in a winnable Week 4 matchup at home against the Trevor Lawrence led Jacksonville Jaguars. Should the Bengals overachieve and force me to eat a big ‘ol helping of humble pie, so be it - I’ll still be betting against it happening!
Cincinnati Bengals Season Win Total Prediction: Under 6.5
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