The season looked lost for Cincinnati after a 1-3 start that included losses to Cleveland and Tennessee where quarterback Joe Burrow’s offense failed to score a touchdown.
That’s turned around in the past five weeks with four straight wins, including big victories over San Francisco and Buffalo the past two weeks.
To better understand the Bengals playoff odds, BetOhio.com took a look at teams that were 5-3 in 2022 to see what the Bengals’ chances could be in 2023. Four of the six teams made the playoffs, but none made deep runs after sneaking into the postseason.
How 2022 5-3 Teams Performed
The Bengals Super Bowl odds are +1200, tied with Miami for sixth best in the NFL.
No Deep Runs for 5-3 Teams in 2022
Of the six teams standing 5-3 after eight games in 2022, only the N.Y. Jets and Titans didn’t make the playoffs. Both finished 7-10, as Tennessee lost seven straight to close the season after improving to 7-3, while New York lost its final six games.
The Bengals will be aiming to follow the other four teams to the playoffs and advance a little further than they did. The L.A. Chargers (10-7), Baltimore (10-7), the Dolphins (9-8) and Seattle (9-8) all finished second in their respective divisions, but then all four lost in their Wild Card playoff games.
Cincinnati closed the 2022 season with eight straight victories to win the AFC North. The current four-game win streak has the team tied for second at 5-3 with Cleveland and Pittsburgh, while Baltimore leads the AFC North at 7-2. If the season ended today, all four teams in the AFC North would make the playoffs.
The Bengals are 0-2 in the division with early losses to the Browns and Ravens, so they have four division games left, including two against the Steelers on Nov. 25 and Dec. 23. The Ravens rematch is Nov. 16, and they finish the season with the Browns on Jan. 7. Cincinnati’s last three wins are against winning teams with a combined record of 15-10 in the Seahawks, 49ers and Bills. The four-game win streak has improved the Bengals’ odds of making the playoffs to 70%, according to Pro Football Focus.
Cincinnati goes for a fifth straight win with a home game against a 4-4 Houston Texans team coming off an impressive comeback victory over Tampa Bay. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud set an NFL rookie record with 470 passing while throwing for five touchdowns. The Bengals are still a 7-point favorite at ESPN BET Ohio over Houston with an over-under of 45.5 points.
