The Cincinnati Bengals have continued to find success with Joe Burrow as their signal caller, and that trend is poised to continue in 2023. Burrow and company came out on top in the AFC North last season, and they’re favorites to do so again. The Bengals own the shortest odds to capture the division at +115, while the oddsmakers suggest that the Baltimore Ravens are their closest competitor at +250. This division is expected to be one of the most competitive in the league, especially if the Cleveland Browns can finally make the leap to being a solid program again.
With Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs continuing to make headlines in the NFL and AFC, the Bengals are being partially slept on. This team knows how to win battles in the trenches and has high-end skill players on offense to complement Burrow. In addition, after upgrading the O-Line in free agency heading into last season, you can bet that they’ll be more comfortable this time and better protect their franchise quarterback.
The interesting thing to follow here is that the Bengals will have no shortage of competition to win the division. You can make a real case that any of these four teams can win the North, even the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have the longest odds at +650. In saying that, there’s more security in looking towards the Bengals to make a deep playoff run rather than winning the AFC North.
Buy or Sell: The Bengals to Win the AFC North at +115Cincinnati has demonstrated that they can win playoff games on the road, and we’ve grown to trust them in big games vs. the regular season when there’s a ton of parity in the NFL. Getting into the postseason will be the focus for Cincinnati, with home playoff dates on their mind after they qualify. With a loaded conference and many elite quarterbacks, winning games this season won’t be easy for anyone, even a team with the talent the Bengals boast.
In terms of their 2023 strength of schedule, Cincy sits in the middle of the pack, which should benefit them, considering the Ravens have a more difficult schedule, at least on paper. The Browns are right there with the Bengals in terms of their schedule and also own +350 odds to win the AFC North.
Baltimore, Cleveland, and even Pittsburgh can create some uncertainty for the Bengals to win the AFC North in 2023. In saying that, the Bengals are a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and the other teams in the division will have to prove that before we put them in that class. As a result, bettors should be strongly looking at buying into the Bengals to win the AFC North in plus-money territory.
