Presently it’s a surprise to many that Marvin Lewis remains Cincinnati coach. Concurrently last year’s 7-9 record was indicative of an underachieving team. Especially on offense. As a matter of fact, the Bengals were horrendous offensively. Consider that they ranked dead last in the NFL overall for yardage. Meanwhile the defense was merely mediocre. Yet somehow the Bengals showed an NFL betting profit with nine payouts. Due to their lack of public appeal Cincinnati becomes a value team. Balanced against that is two straight years out of the playoffs. That is why Lewis’ return confounds experts.
2018 Cincinnati Bengals NFL Betting Futures
Date and Time: Season opens September 9, 2018
Location: Check schedules
NFL Betting Online Odds at SBG: Cincinnati Bengals +8000 to win Super Bowl LIII
Cincinnati Bengals TV Coverage: Check Listings
Stability for Bengals
Few NFL betting choices offer more stability than the Bengals. But that is not translating into on field success. Although when Cincinnati has made the playoffs it was short lived. To illustrate they have played seven playoff games under Lewis. And the Bengals lost all seven of those post season tilts. In view of that most gamblers don’t take Cincinnati seriously. Adding to this perception is their penny-pinching owner Mike Brown. Accordingly, few owners are as despised. Lewis likely returned because Brown didn’t want to pay him to leave. So much for “stability.”
Andy Dalton
The unfortunate Andy Dalton returns as quarterback of the Bengals. While in his eighth year as starter he is often lambasted. Dalton did lead the team to five straight playoff appearances. But was unable to capitalize on those opportunities. Consequently, fans turned on him long ago. Balanced against that is the team never actually had the material to advance.
Offensive Issues
The 2017 offense was so bad that coordinator Ken Zampese was fired after two games. By contrast Bill Lazor marginally improved the unit. However, the offense was still unable to finish drives. Additionally, red zone production was insufficient. As a result, Lazor drew up a new playbook. Dalton’s production has dropped the past two seasons. But just not to the point where Cincinnati has considered replacing him. Now it will be on Dalton to tighten up red zone play. To illustrate, Cincy had five games with no more than one touchdown. Of course, they lost each of those contests.
Strong Receivers
Comparable to most teams Cincinnati’s receiving corps is a net plus. All pro wide receiver AJ Green is a sportsbook asset. Green is a legitimate big play threat. While Brandon LaFell is a capable number two receiver. Meanwhile tight end Tyler Eifert is a pro bowler. Also expected is an improved offensive line. It was a major culprit in the Bengals woes last year. From this point there is nowhere to go but up.
Other names to consider
Kicker Randy Bullock is coming off his most accurate season. Next on special teams is reliable punter Kevin Huber. After that Alex Erickson handles both punt and kickoff returns quite well.
Matchup to Watch
Certainly, last year was an NFL betting disappointment for Cincinnati. However just a couple of more plays can turn them back into a playoff team. Consistent with that is improvement from within. Along those same lines organizational stability may yet pay off.
Cincinnati Bengals 2018 Futures Betting Odds Pick
To conclude expect nine wins out of an improved Bengals team for 2018.
NFL Betting Online Pick:
Follow the Bengals for news, interviews, and highlights!