Last year, the Cincinnati Bengals proved their run to the Super Bowl in 2021 was no fluke across Ohio sports betting. While Joe Burrow and the team did not win a second straight AFC Championship, they did take Kansas City to the brink on the road in the conference title game. Leading up to that, they also went 12-4 while overcoming an 0-2 start, enduring injuries to key players on both sides of the ball and playing one of the toughest schedules in the league.
Also impressive was that the Bengals were in almost every game. Three of the four regular-season losses and the season-ender to the Chiefs in the playoffs all were settled by last-second field goals.
This year’s schedule, on paper, is easier, but when the NFL released the 2023-24 slate of games on Thursday, it was clear they did the Bengals few favors in the second half of the upcoming season. How will that slate affect the Bengals Super Bowl odds?
We created a point system to determine the toughest 3-game stretch of the Cincinnati Bengals schedule for the upcoming NFL season. For points, we awarded 1 to 4 points for each grouping of 8 teams in the final standings from the 2022-23 season (Chiefs = 4 pts, Bears = 1 pt), 2 points for an away game, 2 points for a short week (going into a Thursday night game or coming off Monday Night Football), 1 point for a divisional opponent and 1 point for a primetime game.
Toughest Stretch of Bengals Schedule Is...
Several Stretches To Watch
That stretch of games starts off with a primetime Thursday night game against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. It’ll be a short week to prep for a game that could decide the AFC North. Hopefully, a coin flip won’t be involved.
The Bengals will get a few more days to get ready for the Steelers at home. Pittsburgh may not necessarily look like a contender this year, but Mike Tomlin always seems to have his teams in contention. Plus, Steelers-Bengals games are always a battle. That won't be a game to be underestimated across any Ohio sports betting app.
Wrapping up that stretch is a Monday night matchup at Jacksonville. The Jaguars were the surprise playoff team last year, but they won’t sneak up on anyone this season.
Mathematically, that Week 11-13 stretch is the toughest. However, there are also a couple other grueling stretches that could determine the Bengals playoff chances.
Coming off a Week 7 bye, the Bengals will host the Buffalo Bills in what’s sure to be an emotionally charged Sunday night game. A week later, they have to go to the West Coast and face a San Francisco 49ers team that’s expected to be one of the top NFC teams.
Then there’s December, which starts with the Jaguars on Monday Night Football. Two weeks later starts a three-game stretch where the Bengals host Minnesota in what could possibly be a primetime game, then go on the road to Pittsburgh for a Saturday game in Week 16. That gauntlet is capped by a highly anticipated matchup in Kansas City for Week 17.
Cincinnati has come a long way in the past two seasons. While this upcoming season will have tough stretches, many are expecting the Bengals to do well, make it back to the playoffs and possibly give the franchise its first Super Bowl championship.
BetOhio.com – your source for Ohio sportsbook welcome bonuses – will keep tabs on Burrow and company all season long.
