NFL Betting – Cincinnati Bengals Win Total

• Bengals OVER 5.5. wins is favored at -152

• Joe Burrow doesn’t have the supporting case he had at LSU, but the group isn’t terrible

• Bookmaker is offering a generous welcome bonus with a $1000 maximum

Getting the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft is a big deal. Unfortunately, it typically means that the team receiving that selection stunk the year before. Well, that’s exactly what the Cincinnati Bengals did, winning just two games. In need of a quarterback after the decline of Andy Dalton, the Bengals got their man in Joe Burrow, who had a record-setting campaign leading undefeated LSU to the National Championship. It’s not hopeless in Cincinnati. There are weapons on offense, especially with the return of A.J. Green, and the team spent a boat load of money to improve a horrible defense. Will that translate to more wins? Will it get the Bengals over their projected win total of 5.5?

Cincinnati Bengals Win Total Odds at BookMaker.eu

Bengals Over 5.5 Wins -142
Bengals Under 5.5 Wins +118

2020 Cincinnati Bengals Offense Preview

Nearly a decade of Andy Dalton got the Bengals a lot of wins and a few playoff appearances. It never got them a postseason victory, though, and their streak of losing seasons reached four when they bottomed out last year, matching the franchise record for fewest victories. Dalton was solid in his prime, just never spectacular. A sign things were going to change at the position was when Dalton got benched in favor of Ryan Finley.

There were issues on this side of the football with quarterback play being the biggest. The Bengals averaged 228.3 yards through the air and had just 18 scoring passes and 16 interceptions. The combined QB rating of 76.2 was the third lowest in the NFL. As a result they ranked 30th in scoring with 17.4 points per game. The hope is that Burrow can be the guy to lead the team for years to come, and he has the tools. Burrow completed over 76 percent of his passes for 5,671 yards with 60 touchdowns for the Bayou Bengals in 2019.

Burrow doesn’t have the supporting case he had at LSU, but the group isn’t terrible. Green is a key element after missing all of 2019 with an injury. His absence allowed Tyler Boyd to emerge as the No. 1 target posting 90 catches for 1,046 yards. Tee Higgins is another weapon after a stellar career at Clemson. Joe Mixon averaged more than 100 yards rushing over the final eight games in 2019 surpassing 1,100 for the second straight year.

2020 Cincinnati Bengals Defense Preview

As bad as they were offensively, the Bengals were even worse stopping opponents. They were dead last in the NFL surrendering 149 yards per game on the ground and ranked 29th in total defense. They were outscored by 141 points and their minus-14 turnover margin was second-worst in the league. The group can’t get much worse.

And to make sure they don’t decline, the team made a few uncharacteristic big free agent signings. D.J. Reader is now the highest paid nose tackle in the league and a key to improving the run defense. He’s joined up front by mainstays Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins, who rank first and second on the team’s all-time sacks list. The two are getting up in age as they enter their 11th season, but still remain quality defenders.

The spending didn’t end with Reader. The entire secondary was revamped around former Vikings Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander. The Bengals conceded nearly 245 yards per game through the air, which is a high number considering they couldn’t stop the run. It appears on paper at least that the Bengals improved, but not by a whole bunch.

2020 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule Analysis

Playing in the rugged AFC North is going to be one of several challenges on the schedule. Baltimore won a league-high 14 games last season and Pittsburgh will have Ben Roethlisberger back. One of Cincy’s two wins was over Cleveland in last season’s finale, but the Brownies are expected to improve after yet another coaching change.

There is plenty of reason for optimism. Not only should the Bengals be a stronger team, the beginning of the slate has possibilities. A rare home season opener against the Chargers is followed by matchups with the Browns, Philadelphia and Jacksonville. Outside of Dallas, the NFC East doesn’t look overwhelming. There are potential matchups with members of the recent draft class. Burrow against Herbert in Week 1 and No. 2 pick Chase Young chasing Burrow down in Week 11.

Bet Cincinnati Bengals Win Total at BookMaker.eu

I’m pulling for the Bengals but I just don’t think they have enough to compete in their division. They will be better than last year but that doesn’t always translate into wins. They made a lot of lateral moves that aren’t going to improve the defense that much. Burrow has the tools to be a successful player however it’s going to take time. The team will grow with him; they just won’t hit the six-win mark this season.

NFL Odds: Cincinnati Bengals Under 5.5 Wins

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