The AFC North once again delivered multiple playoff teams in 2024, but the Bengals were not one of them. Despite star quarterback Joe Burrow playing the entire campaign after missing seven games in 2023 and putting up massive numbers, Cincinnati was not the Super Bowl contender many expected, going 9-8 and missing the postseason for the second straight season thanks in large part to four close losses in the first five weeks.
The Bengals’ offense was very good overall, with Burrow setting career-high marks in completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns as Cincy finished sixth in the league in points per game, better even than the team’s 2021 Super Bowl team. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the defense was a major problem, allowing 34 or more points six times. The “good” news there is all six of those games were against 2024 playoff teams. But on the other hand, the team’s best defensive outings were against the porous offenses fielded by the Browns and Giants. This resulted in longtime defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo losing his job and head coach Zac Taylor looking to the college ranks for his replacement in former Notre Dame play-caller Al Golden. Golden has familiarity with Taylor and the Bengals having been the team’s linebackers coach for two years before spending the last three years at Notre Dame.
Cincy clearly prioritized defense in the draft, with the team using three of its first four picks on that side of the ball, but the Bengals did very little to bolster that unit this offseason besides that, so Golden will need to simply get more out of many of the same faces the team has had the last few seasons. The silver lining is Cincinnati’s offense should again be legit with Burrow leading the charge and the team locking down star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgings.
We’re going to take a quick look at the Bengals’ 2024 season and the rest of their offseason moves before getting into their track record in NFL futures over the last five years. After that, you can find the odds available at top sportsbooks for their 2025 win total along with Super Bowl and playoff odds as well as key player props to know. Finally, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of betting on the Bengals in 2025 and give out our best bets.
2024 Cincinnati Bengals season review
- Regular season: 9-8 (Third, AFC North)
- Playoffs: Missed
- Won final five games after 4-8 start
- Most points per game in losses (27.8) in NFL history (min. 5 losses)
- Joe Burrow: Third QB all-time to miss playoffs in season with 40+ pass TD
- Ja’Marr Chase: Fifth player since 1970 with receiving triple crown
- First team in NFL history with NFL leader in pass yards (Burrow), receiving yds (Chase) and sacks (Trey Hendrickson)
2025 Cincinnati Bengals offseason review
| QB | Desmond Ridder | ||
| RB | Khalil Herbert, Trayveon Williams, Chris Evans | Samaje Perine | Tahj Brooks (6) |
| WR | Mitchell Tinsley | ||
| TE | |||
| OL | Alex Cappa, Trent Brown, D’ante Smith | Lucas Patrick | Dylan Fairchild (3), Jalen Rivers (5) |
| DL | Sheldon Rankins, Jay Tufele | T.J. Slaton, Dante Barnett, McTelvin Agim | |
| EDGE | Shemar Stewart (1) | ||
| LB | Akeem Davis-Gaither, Germaine Pratt, Joe Bachie | Oren Burks, Joe Gilles-Harris | Demetrius Knight (2), Barrett Carter (4) |
| CB | Mike Hilton | ||
| S | Vonn Bell | ||
| STAFF | Lou Anarumo (DC) | Al Golden (DC) |
Five-year futures odds and trends
| 2024 | +1300 | 10.5 | Under | 9 | 3rd, AFC North |
| 2023 | +1000 | 11.5 | Under | 9 | 4th, AFC North |
| 2022 | +2080 | 9.5 | Over | 12 | L, AFC Championship |
| 2021 | +15000 | 6.5 | Over | 10 | L, Super Bowl |
| 2020 | +20000 | 5.5 | Under | 4 | 4th, AFC North |
Historical betting data via Pro-Football-Reference.
2025 Cincinnati Bengals futures odds
| Go Over win total | 10..5 (+150) | 10.5 (+165) | 9.5 (-150) | 9.5 (-110) |
| Go Under win total | 10.5 (+125) | 10.5 (-200) | 9.5 (+125) | 9.5 (-110) |
| Win Super Bowl | +2000 | +2000 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Win AFC | +1000 | +900 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Win AFC North | +220 | +250 | +270 | +260 |
| Make playoffs | -150 | -130 | -150 | -144 |
| Miss playoffs | +125 | +110 | +125 | +118 |
| Win No. 1 seed | +950 | +900 | +1400 | +1200 |
Odds subject to change.
2025 Joe Burrow props
| MVP | +600 | +600 | +650 | +600 |
| Offensive POY | +5000 | +4000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Most pass yards | +500 | +500 | +550 | |
| Pass yards O/U | 4150.5 | 4200.5 | 4150.5 | 4200.5 |
| Pass TDs O/U | 33.5 | 33.5 | 33.5 | 33.5 |
Odds subject to change.
Reasons to back the Bengals
Despite rushing offenses making a surge last year, throwing the football is still generally the way to win in the modern NFL. The Bengals have the best QB-WR combination in the league in Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, as well as perhaps the best No. 2 receiver in the league in Tee Higgins. That papers over a lot of issues that come from the defense giving up points, and the Bengals were rather unlucky to not be a playoff team last year. Per CBS Research, the Bengals had the most points per game in losses (27.8) in NFL history for teams that lost at least five games.
Provided star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson isn’t traded before the season, the Bengals defense should be in for some positive regression, so if the offense can stay in that top-eight range, the Bengals are well-positioned to win at least 10 games. Al Golden has been on Zac Taylor’s staff before, and that existing relationship should make the transition to a new defensive coordinator easier than with many teams. The rest of the AFC could also be well set up for the Bengals to make the playoffs with potentially just one playoff team in each of the AFC East and AFC South and the Steelers possibly taking a step back.
Reasons to fade the Bengals
The Bengals have three superstars in Burrow, Chase and Trey Hendrickson, but they are one of the more top-heavy rosters in the league. The offensive line remains a major question mark, and the defense doesn’t have much reason for optimism behind the top two or three players on the roster. The lack of depth means the team’s stars absolutely must stay healthy as it’s questionable the rest of the roster will be able to pick up the slack if anyone misses extended time, and the specter of losing Hendrickson will remain over the team until they agree to a new deal.
It’s also fair to wonder where the improvement is going to come from to take this team above its 9-8 finish over the last two years. It’s not like Burrow, Chase and Hendrickson can play much better than they did last season when they led the league in passing yards and touchdowns; receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns; and sacks, respectively. It appears the only potential starters brought in as free agents are guard Lucas Patrick and defensive lineman T.J. Slaton, neither being needle-movers at their respective positions. The draft brought Shemar Stewart to help up front, but he’s having his own contract issues with the team that is costing him valuable preparation time in his first offseason.
How to bet the Bengals in 2025
- Under 10.5 wins -160 (Caesars)
- Ja’Marr Chase Offensive Player of the Year +1000 (BetMGM)
I thought I was going to love the Bengals coming into this year with how good their offense is, but after digging into their roster I don’t see how this team is any better than the one that was 14-13 with Burrow under center the last two years. It’s great that they were able to lock up both starting receivers long-term, but it seems like the rest of the roster beyond the top 6-8 players is screaming for improvement that hasn’t come. This feels to me like a 10-win team if everyone stays healthy, with the potential to crater if multiple stars go missing for several weeks due to injuries.
But on the positive end, I think there’s value in backing Chase to win Offensive Player of the Year. By all accounts, the season he had in leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns would’ve typically made him the favorite to win the award, but he only finished third due to Saquon Barkley’s incredible season and there being two QBs worthy of being MVP. If you think the Bengals offense will continue firing on all cylinders, Chase should have a similar season in 2025 and voters will feel like they owe him one after his remarkable 2024 went under the radar in awards voting.
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