National Football League

Bengals more likely to make Super Bowl or miss playoffs? Odds, predictions

Updated Aug. 13, 2023 12:15 p.m. ET

A bold proclamation was made on "The Carton Show" last week.

"The Cincinnati Bengals are more likely to miss the playoffs than make the Super Bowl," Craig Carton pronounced.

What do the sportsbooks say?

As of Sunday morning — the NFL preseason began last Thursday — FanDuel Sportsbook gives the Bengals the third-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +1000, tied with the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers while trailing only the Philadelphia Eagles (+800) and the Kansas City Chiefs (+600).

The sportsbook also gives the Bengals the third-best odds to win the AFC Championship Game (+550), trailing the Bills (+450) and the Chiefs (+350).

DraftKings Sportsbook gives Cincy a little longer odds at winning the big game as of Sunday morning, slotting them in fifth at +1100. It has the Niners at +1000, the Bills at +900, the Eagles at +650, and the Chiefs at +600.

However, DraftKings' odds for the AFC winner mimic those of FanDuel, slotting the Bengals in third at the same odds.

As for making the playoffs in general, FanDuel and DraftKings both give Cincy the shortest odds to win the AFC North at +150. DraftKings also has the Bengals at -255 to make the postseason.

Cincinnati has become a force in the AFC over the past two seasons, as quarterback Joe Burrow has ascended to one of the best signal-callers in the game. But is Burrow's calf injury a real cause for concern for the Bengals, their fans and bettors?

Zac Taylor has said the star quarterback will take "several weeks" to recover from his calf strain and reiterated that same statement this week when asked about Burrow's injury.

The Bengals have put together a combined regular-season record of 22-10 over that span and a 5-2 record in the playoffs. They overcame the Chiefs in the AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium in 2021 before falling to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. Last season featured an AFC Championship rematch between Cincinnati and Kansas City, with the Chiefs emerging victorious before defeating Philly in the Super Bowl.