The Cincinnati Bengals’ AFC title and Super Bowl showing have to be one of the biggest stunners in NFL betting history, considering this team was pegged as an underdog in all but two games heading into last season.
The 2022 Bengals are now in uncharted waters, with lofty expectations and an orange and black target on their backs. Oddsmakers are split on Cincy’s success in 2022, with a win total bouncing around double digits and the lookahead lines landing between nine and 11 wins, depending on where you bet.
Cincinnati is trying to capture lightning in a bottle with this current squad, quickly addressing glaring weaknesses like the offensive line and secondary this offseason. But is that enough to keep the momentum and — more importantly — the magic rolling?
Here’s our Cincinnati Bengals 2022 NFL betting preview.
Cincinnati Bengals futures odds
| To win Super Bowl | +2,000 |
| To win conference | +1,150 |
| To win division | +190 |
| Season Win Total O/U | 10 (Under -120) |
| To Make Playoffs | Yes -140 / No +120 |
Best futures bet: Under 10 wins (-120)
I made some great calls in my set of 2021 NFL previews, but betting the Bengals Under 6.5 wins wasn’t one of them. That said, Cincinnati did get some help when it came to slapping me in the face with double-digit victories.
The AFC North was in shambles, leading to a 4-2 straight up divisional count. The Bengals scooped early wins over bottom-feeding Jacksonville and Detroit, before facing a softer home stretch and catching some breaks.
This win total can be had as low as 9.5 (Over -120), but with games against Kansas City, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, New England, Buffalo, and Baltimore closing out the final two months — Bengals backers need all the wins they can get before the winter sets in.
Cincinnati Bengals betting overview
What will win bets: Defense
Thought I was going to say offense, didn’t you?
There’s no denying the danger factor of this Bengals’ attack. Still, it will be the stop unit that carries Cincy cash to the bank in the closing quarters — helped along by an offense that should have Cincinnati playing with the lead and making opponents’ playbooks one-dimensional in the second half.
The pass rush was a pleasant surprise in 2021, with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo getting 42 sacks from a unit that blitzed just 20.5% of the time (seventh lowest rate). The Bengals did give up a ton of passing yards when the level of QB competition increased, but Cincy also added lots of speed and depth to the secondary this offseason (still waiting on Jesse Bates drama to pan out).
If the pass rush can continue to cause chaos, that could help support the secondary and lead to an increase in the 13 interceptions from last season.
The versatile defense has stood out in the early workings of training camp and can build on the back of a fantastic postseason in which Cincinnati checked some high-octane offenses to just over 20 points per game.
What will lose bets: Offensive line
Joe Burrow was sacked a league-high 51 times in 2021 — not what you want with the face of your franchise coming back from a career-threatening injury. The Bengals rushed to remedy this problem with their wallet wide open, bringing in plenty of new faces on the offensive line. Improvement is inevitable (it can’t get any worse). But how those protectors gel is another thing.
Burrow’s absence in camp and preseason due to an appendectomy leaves little game-speed reps with this new unit. The Bengals play a series of showdowns with legit pass rushes to start the season: Pittsburgh, Dallas, Miami, Baltimore, and New Orleans.
Reports out of camp haven’t been glowing for the new OL, and the opening preseason game didn’t paint a pretty picture either. Big spends Alex Cappa and La’el Collins have already missed time with injury as a Week 1 date with Pittsburgh (No. 1 in sacks in 2021) draws near.
More Covers NFL betting analysis
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Cincinnati Bengals game-by-game odds
There are contrasting power ratings for the Bengals, from book to book. Some shops have Cincinnati as a favorite in 10 games (was a -5 chalk at Jets in Week 3 prior to Wilson’s injury) with two matchups vs. Cleveland off the board. Others have Cincy as the fave in only seven outings, boasting slimmer spreads for those games in which the Bengals are giving the points.
Last season’s slate was perfect for Cincinnati to build momentum and make a run at the playoffs — and then some — as it played six of its final nine contests at home. The 2022 calendar offers a similar window in the final two months, with four of the final six games inside the newly named Paycor Stadium, but that home stretch is loaded with postseason contenders.
It seems unfathomable that the Bengals entered 2021 as underdogs in 15 of 17 games, but they won’t catch foes with their pants down this year. Cincy owns the third toughest schedule in terms of standard SOS and ranks out tied for seventh in my QB SOS — if Watson is active for those meetings with its Ohio rival.
| 1 | vs. Pittsburgh | -6.5 | 44.5 |
| 2 | @ Dallas | +2.5 | 50.5 |
| 3 | @ N.Y. Jets | OTB | OTB |
| 4 | vs. Miami | -3.5 | 46 |
| 5 | @ Baltimore | +2.5 | 46.5 |
| 6 | @ New Orleans | PK | 44.5 |
| 7 | vs. Atlanta | -9 | 47.5 |
| 8 | @ Cleveland | OTB | OTB |
| 9 | vs. Carolina | -7.5 | 45 |
| 10 | BYE | ||
| 11 | @ Pittsburgh | -3 | 43.5 |
| 12 | @ Tennessee | +1 | 47 |
| 13 | vs. Kansas City | +2.5 | 50 |
| 14 | vs. Cleveland | OTB | OTB |
| 15 | @ Tampa Bay | +5 | 50.5 |
| 16 | @ New England | +2.5 | 42.5 |
| 17 | vs. Buffalo | +2.5 | 46.5 |
| 18 | vs. Baltimore | -2.5 | 43.5 |
Cincinnati Bengals pro betting insights
Hitman, professional bettor (@Hitman428)
The Bengals’ offensive line has improved and they have a very condensed target share. I have concerns about the defense overachieving last season. I rarely play Overs on season long props, but Tee Higgins Over 975.5 receiving yards is appealing.
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