NFL oddsmakers might not give the Cincinnati Bengals a big chance when it comes to win totals in 2020. The Bengals might only be favored in a single game on the schedule, too.
But the Bengals have generally been pretty reliable when it comes to NFL odds and spreads.
Over at ESPN, NFL beat writers converged to list out the five worst teams against the spread during the Super Bowl era — and the Bengals aren’t on the list.
The worst teams? The Cardinals, Raiders, Rams, Buccaneers and Jets. All check in between the .470-.479 range.
During Cincinnati’s two-win season a year ago, the Bengals still went 6-10 against the spread, per Team Rankings. Using data that stretches back to 2003, the Bengals are actually 138-132-9 against the spread, which percentage-wise (51.1) places them 12th overall on a list headed up by New England (59.3).
Granted, if we stretched this out and looped in the 90s and more, Cincinnati’s standing might slip a bit in this department. But it just works to illustrate that the modern Bengals have been a little more reliable than expected from a betting standpoint.
Given the massive roster overhaul this offseason and another year of experience for carryover players and coaches, the Bengals could move back toward hovering around their typical modern average against the spread. Given the week-by-week odds given for 2020, that’s encouraging.
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