2021 Cincinnati Bengals Betting Preview: Odds, Lines, & Predictions

2021 Cincinnati Bengals Betting Preview

After another disappointing season in Cincinnati, the Bengals might have a team that can compete in the intense AFC North.

They ended 2020 with a 4-11-1, but future franchise quarterback, Joe Burrow, missed half the season with a grotesque leg injury. He returns to the field and he has a ton of weapons to throw to.

The Bengals loaded up on the offensive side this offseason. The old regime is gone as longtime great, WR A.J. Green is gone after 9 seasons with the team. So the Bengals drafted his replacement with their number 5 overall pick by selecting WR Ja’Marr Chase to go along with young stud receivers like Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. The Bengals running game should also be better this season because starting running back, Joe Mixon is returning after missing many games with a foot injury.

Their defense was underrated as the Bengals have playmakers like CB Jessie Bates, DE Trey Hendrickson, safety Vonn Bell, and CB Mike Hilton.

The real issue with the Bengals is their offensive line, which was atrocious and got Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon hurt. They didn’t do much to fix this massive problem so if they don’t develop their young o-line properly, expect Joe Burrow to have a long season running for his life.

2020 Cincinnati Bengals Team Stats

• Points For: 316
• Points Against: 403
• Passing Yards Per Game: 215.5
• Rushing Yards Per Game: 104.2
• Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 241.2
• Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 148

Key Offseason Transactions

The Bengals made a couple of moves to make their football team more complete.

They lost the face of the franchise to Arizona this offseason as A.J. Green has finally left the team. They had a choice with the number 5 overall pick in this past draft between fixing their offensive line and drafting a potential all-time great in left tackle Penei Sewell or going with the flashy pick who was also Joe Burrow’s college mate in WR Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals opted for the latter and wanted to make their offense as high flying as possible.

They also picked up some key defensive players in free agency to help that side of the ball. Cincinnati’s defensive line was solid last year, but they got better when they signed DE Trey Hendrickson. They also wanted some changes in their secondary because they signed four cornerbacks in Trey Waynes, Mike Hilton, Chidobe Awuzie, and Ricardo Allen to pair with their excellent safeties.

These are major improvements to a Bengals team that was scrappy last season, but it might not be enough to beat teams like the Ravens or Browns and get over the hump to win the difficult AFC North.

2020 Cincinnati Bengals Betting Stats

• Record: 4-11-1
• MOV:  -7.3
• ATS: 9-7
• ATS +/-:  -0.4
• Over/Under: 7-9
• Total +/-:  -5

2021 Cincinnati Bengals Betting Outlook

The Bengals were one of those teams where their record did not reflect how good they were.

Yes, a 4-11-1 record is among the worst in the league, but it rarely felt like the Bengals were out of games. They were 9-7 ATS last season and should have a similar record this season. This is because the Bengals are going to be a pass-happy offense, so they are never really going to be out of games.

I also love the overs for this Bengals team. This team is going to get scored on despite their offseason moves, as they ranked as the 12th worst defense last season, while this Bengals offense is going to be explosive. The Bengals have too many weapons to cover on offense so you know they will score with teams. And although they made improvements on defense, they are still a couple of pieces away from being a solid unit.

If you are going to bet on the Bengals this season, take the over in most of their games.

Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl Odds

Super Bowl 56 is coming up and the Bengals have the 4th worst odds to win it in the entire NFL at +10000. A couple of things factor into these terrible odds.

First is the Bengals team itself and while they are going to be fun and flashy, we don’t know about how the offensive line or defense will perform. And if they perform poorly, then there is a small chance of making the Super Bowl.

Second is the division they play in. The Steelers, Browns, and Ravens are all possible playoff teams and the Bengals are easily the worst team out of those four. This means that their shot at the playoffs shrinks even further.

Third is the other potential playoff teams in different divisions in the AFC. This is a pretty extensive list as the Colts, Titans, Patriots, Dolphins, Chargers, and Raiders are also competing for a playoff spot.

The Bengals are going to have a tough season, but if everything falls their way, they then can make some noise in the AFC.

Cincinnati Bengals Playoff Odds

Not many of the Vegas experts expect the Bengals in the playoffs.

Bengals’ fans should look away as the odds that they do make the playoffs are at +475 while the odds that they don’t make the playoffs are at a staggering -670.

Much like the Super Bowl odds analysis, the Bengals have other more talented teams to compete with for a playoff spot. Let’s just forget about top contenders like the Chiefs, Bills, and Titans for a second, and remember that the Bengals won’t be competing for a top-three seed in the AFC. Instead, they will be battling for a wildcard spot with the Steelers, Ravens, Browns, Patriots, Dolphins, Colts, Chargers, and Raiders.

The Bengals don’t have the talent to beat out any of those teams and will have a tough time making the playoffs if they do at all.

Cincinnati Bengals Win Total Odds

The Bengals should have a better season this year as Vegas has the line set at 6.5 wins.

Over 6.5 wins has +118 odds while under 6.5 wins has -143 odds.

The road to 6.5 wins is going to be a tough one as the Bengals have a fairly hard schedule in 2021. There isn’t much wiggle room for bad losses as the Bengals have to play the Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Vikings, Bears, Packers, Browns, Raiders, Chargers, 49ers, and Chiefs.

They do have some winnable games as they get to play the Jaguars, Lions, Jets, and Broncos.

So looking at the math, the Bengals have to win all of their winnable games and steal two or three games that they probably shouldn’t win.

If I were a sharp gambler, I would take the under 6.5 wins total for the Bengals.

Cincinnati Bengals Player Futures Odds

The Bengals are not going to be known for their defense this season and the DPOY odds reflect that. None of their better players, even the incredible CB Jessie Bates or DE Trey Hendrickson, have great odds as Bates has +10000 odds while Hendrickson has +6600 odds to win the DPOY.

Their offense is going to be a different story as the Bengals have some playmakers on that side of the ball.

QB Joe Burrow has the second-best odds to win the Comeback Player of the year award at +550 odds and +5000 odds to win the MVP.

WR Ja’Marr Chase has some pretty good odds to win the OROY award at +1200, which is 6th best in his draft class.

These picks have some good value, but even the most die-hard Bengals fans can see that their players are not going to win any league-wide awards.