Best Tailgating In The AFC North: Where Do The Cincinnati Bengals Rank?

The Cincinnati Bengals report for preseason camp next week and, just like the players, it’s time for fans to get ready. Not only are members of Who Dey Nation doing their homework in preparation for upcoming Ohio sports betting opportunities, but they’re also getting their tailgating into gameday shape.

Head toward an NFL stadium on any given Sunday, and you can smell the beers and brats being consumed in nearby parking lots. Music will blare from stereo speakers, and big screens propped up on pickup beds will broadcast pregame shows.

Where do the Bengals rate in the division for their tailgating scene? Here are our rankings, with an explanation below.

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Best Tailgating Experience: AFC North

BetOhio.com wanted to know what NFL teams have the best ahead of the 2024 NFL season. Using Stadium-Journey.com and Sports-Reference.com, we created a scoring system factoring in food and beverage, atmosphere, fans, return on investment, and each team’s record from the 2023 season. Track Cincinnati Bengals playoff chances with us all season.

How The Cincinnati Bengals Fared

At 9-8, the Bengals had the worst record in the AFC North last season, becoming the first team to finish last in a division despite a winning record. Cincy was 6-3 at Paycor Stadium, and the atmosphere on game days was among the best in the league, especially for the primetime games. It was a white out at Paycor when the Bengals hosted the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 23. Not only did Cincinnati wear its “White Bengal” uniforms, but fans followed suit for the Monday night contest (see our story on which Bengals jerseys have the best winning percentage).

Then, on Nov. 5, Bengals fans “striped” the home they call the Jungle. The contrasting orange and black sections made Paycor look like a Bengals helmet as the team played the Buffalo Bills in front of millions on Sunday Night Football.

StadiumJourney.com gave Paycor a score of 4.00, third among the AFC North stadiums. The site gave the stadium its highest marks for return on investment, noting that it came in 10th in the NFL for concessions. Parking close to the stadium can run up to $70, but there are several economical options in downtown Cincinnati that are well within walking distance. It’s not hard to find garages with spots available for $25. 

Cincy opens the season at home on Sept. 8 and faces the new-look New England Patriots. BetMGM Ohio Sportsbook has made the Bengals the biggest favorite for Week 1 with a 9.5-point spread.

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How To Tailgate Like You’re In Cincinnati

Want a Cincinnati-style tailgate? You can do chili if you want, but that can take a while. A better option is goetta, a meat product unique to Cincinnati and the surrounding area and traces back to the Germanic roots of many settlers to the region. Available at local supermarkets in Cincy and Northern Kentucky, goetta is a sausage that consists of beef and/or pork, spices, onion and oats.

As far as beverages go, you can’t go wrong with a Hudy Delight. The light lager is made by the Hudepohl Brewing Company, which was founded in Cincinnati nearly 140 years ago. It is also for sale inside Paycor.

Despite finishing last in the division in 2023, the Bengals are hoping a healthy Joe Burrow can guide the team to its third AFC North title in four years. At DraftKings Ohio Sportsbook, Cincinnati is a close second choice to take the division, which would guarantee them at least one more home game and give fans at least one more tailgating opportunity. Only the Baltimore Ravens at +140 have shorter odds than the Bengals’ +145.

The Bengals’ state and division rivals, the Cleveland Browns, tied Cincy for the division’s best tailgating scene at 194 points, according to our metrics. Both trailed Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

We’ll bring you much more coverage of the NFL for 2024-25, before and during the season, and we’ll also guide you toward the best Ohio sports betting promo codes you can find.

And we've also sourced over 200 of the best fantasy football team names from around the internet. 

USA Today Network photo by Joe Simon/The Enquirer (Cincinnati)