AFC North Odds – Bengals Favored to Win Third Straight Title

PointsBet Sportsbook currently has the Cincinnati Bengals installed the odds-on +120 favorites to pull off the three-peat. Zac Taylor’s troops are also the only team in the division that sports a double-digit win tally (11.5). You have to go all the way back to 1989 to find the last time oddsmakers were this bullish on Cincy making waves. Even so, the AFC North looks to be one of the most competitive in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers all making moves in the offseason to shore up their respective rosters. Each team possesses a number of favorites situated atop the NFL Awards odds as well which brings about even more proof that this division is one of the league’s best. It’s going to be a dogfight to the bitter end, so let’s dig into the AFC North title odds and see how everything stacks up in the offseason.

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Cincinnati Bengals +120

The Bengals ended up one of nine teams to churn out a double-digit win tally a season ago. It did so by way of ranking out amongst the best of the best on both sides of the ball. Joe Burrow was the ringleader of an offensive attack that ranked No. 8 overall that dented scoreboards for just north of 26.0 points per game. While the defense had issues defending the pass (No. 26), it proved to be a stonewall against opposing ground attacks (No. 7) and only surrendered 20.1 points per game (No. 6).

Lou Anarumo’s stop unit did however have an issue getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks (No. 29). The hope is that problem area was rectified with the selection of Clemson 2-time sack leader Myles Murphy at the tail end of the first round of the NFL Draft. The front office then went on to bolster the secondary with its next two picks in the second and third rounds. As loaded the offense already is, would it shock any NFL bettor if all the defensive moves panned out and the Bengals found themselves in the AFC title game a third straight time?

Baltimore Ravens +250

All the talk in the offseason surrounded Lamar Jackson and whether he would be employed by Stephen J. Bisciotti for the 2023-24 NFL betting season. Though he went about his business in the most unconventional of ways, LJ got his payday and will be Baltimore’s QB1 when the team opens their campaign at home against the Houston Texans. But how long will he be able to line up under center as injury prone the former Louisville Cardinal has been recently? Injuries only saw No. 8 partake in 12 games each of the last two seasons, and he was unable to give it a go in the wild-card round against Cincinnati.

Whether it was because of the injury or holding out will never be known. What is known is that he’s the sparkplug that makes the team’s collective engine hum. With him healthy and in the huddle, the Ravens are division contenders. Without him, the Ravens are good enough to cover the NFL odds but not win. The added weapons of Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr. should dramatically improve his counting stats, but LJ’s health will remain the underlying factor as to whether John Harbaugh’s squad ultimately has a seat at the table or is resorted to nothing more than hopeful bystanders.

Cleveland Browns +350

Though the Browns came up short of surpassing its 8-game season win total odds, it still managed seven wins with Jacoby Brissett running the offense 11 times. Three of those wins came with a rusty Deshaun Watson under center the final six weeks. Are we to believe one of the most electric field generals to ever play the game will play to a career-low QB rating once again over the course of a 17-game schedule? I think not! Armed with some exceptional pass catching threats in Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Elijah Moore, and newcomer Cedric Tillman, I’d be shocked if Cleveland’s passing attack isn’t improved by leaps and bounds. Then there’s the always dependable Nick Chubb in the backfield who’s been a top-three rusher each of the last two years.

Armed with one of the league’s best pass defenses (No. 5), the hope is the addition of Minnesota’s Za’Darius Smith proves to be the bookend rusher that compliments Myles Garret enough to the point that it’s pressure rate drastically improves. After amassing 43 sacks in 2021, only 34 were tallied last season which found the Browns ranking out amongst the league’s worst at accruing sacks (No. 27). We’ll know if this team is legit the first month of the season with all three division rivals on the docket and two scheduled to go at FirstEnergy. Win each and Cleveland could quickly turn into the division favorite!

Pittsburgh Steelers +650

The Steelers ability to compete will most rely upon two things. The first is a healthy T.J. Watt. They can beat anyone when the Steelers’ premiere sack artist is healthy and on the field. They’re mostly impotent defensively when he’s limping along the sideline. The second is a combination of improved offensive line play paired with the ascension of second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. While the front wall did a better than average job in pass protection, it did an unacceptable job opening holes for Najee Harris.

He only averaged 1.33 yards before contact which ranked No. 51 of RBs with at least 300 snaps under their belt. Should rookie OT Broderick Jones help rectify that situation, it would only prove to help Pickett and the passing game which should thrive with the talent on the roster at the wide receiver and tight end positions. Let’s see if Matt Canada can put it all together in his third year calling the shots as OC. Pittsburgh is definitely the wild card and deserves to have the longest odds entering the regular season.

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