It’s the middle of December, and the Bengals are 4-9 and currently hold the 10th pick in the NFL Draft.
But is there actually a path to not only a playoff spot but perhaps a division title?
In this wacky 2025 NFL season, seemingly anything is possible. While they can’t finish any better than 8-9 and have been outscored by nearly 100 points so far this year, there actually is a path for the Bengals to win the AFC North.
It starts this week, when Cincinnati has to beat the Baltimore Ravens. If it doesn’t, it will be eliminated from playoff contention.
A win, however, gives the Bengals a realistic path to winning out the rest of the way. The game this weekend is in Cincinnati, and the Bengals beat the Ravens by 18 points two weeks ago in Baltimore on Thanksgiving night.
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A win for the Bengals would put them just one game behind the Ravens and would give them a sweep of the season series. This would mean they just need to tie the Ravens in the standings in order to surpass them at season’s end.
After this game, the Ravens have a tough schedule, as they play the Patriots and then have road games against the Packers and Steelers. The Steelers, who are currently in first place at 7-6, don’t have a cakewalk either. They play the suddenly feisty Dolphins, they play the Lions in Detroit and have division games against the Browns and Ravens.
The Bengals’ schedule after this week consists of games against the Dolphins, Cardinals and Browns.
Is it likely the 4-9 Bengals rally and miraculously sneak out a division title at 8-9? No, but at 16/1 odds, (a $10 bet pays a total of $170), it’s also not a bad bet.
The Bengals have Joe Burrow back and could have easily beaten the Bills last week in Buffalo, in a game where they led most of the way. They are capable of winning out, which would give them a 5-1 division record and would also give them a chance to hold all tiebreakers if they get just a little help.
It’s a long shot for a reason, but I think there is value in looking back to the Bengals making a miracle run in the final month of the season.
PICK: Bengals (+1600) to win the AFC North
Will Hill, a contributor on the Bear Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.
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