No one saw last year coming. The Cincinnati Bengals finished 10-7, earned a playoff berth and then marched all the way to the Super Bowl. QB Joe Burrow was outstanding and the Cincinnati defense was great against the run and good enough against the pass to make the Bengals one of the more feared teams in the league.
With a trip to the Super Bowl coming early, head coach Zac Taylor and the rest of the Bengals would like nothing more than to get back to NFL’s ultimate game and win it. Is it possible in 2022?
Cincinnati Bengals Regular Season Win Total Betting Lines
OVER 9.5 (-135)
UNDER 9.5 (+105)
Last Season
Burrow led an offense that was seventh in scoring averaging 27.1 points per game. Burrow threw for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns. He was aided by RB Joe Mixon who rushed for 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns. That took some of the pressure off of Burrow.
The defense ended up fifth against the run forcing opponents to throw the ball against the Bengals. Cincy did finish 26th against the pass, but Taylor and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo have some plans for that in 2022.
The Bengals beat the Steelers and Ravens twice in division play, but lost both games against in-state rival Cleveland.
Bengals Key Losses Heading Into 2022
OT Riley Reiff is gone as is TE C.J. Uzomah. The bigger losses may be on defense where DT Larry Ogunjobi and CB Darius Phillips both left in free agency. Ogunjobi is now with rival Pittsburgh. Phillips is in Las Vegas.
2022 Cincinnati Bengals Team Preview
The Bengals offense is one of the most talented in the NFL led, of course, by Burrow. Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase (1,455 yds), Tee Higgins (1,091), and Tyler Boyd (828) may form the best trio in the NFL.
Mixon is a 1,000-yard running back and the Bengals upgraded their offensive line in the offseason. They also added TE Hayden Hurst.
The defense continues to improve. Trey Hendrickson and his 14 sacks return. Cincy added S Dax Hill in the first round of the draft and CB Cam Taylor-Britt in the second. Both players are expected to contribute early and bolster the Bengals pass defense.
2022 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule
The tough part of the Bengals schedule starts with the division – AFC North. Playing Baltimore and Pittsburgh is tough enough, but the Browns have really improved over the past few years. Cincinnati will open the season with the Steelers at home and end it with a home game against the Ravens.
The Bengals will face the AFC East, which means another tough one against Buffalo. New England is made even tougher since it’s on the road. Cincy crosses over to play the NFC South, which offers up three winnable games – Atlanta, Carolina, and New Orleans – and a date with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That game is also on the road.
At the end of the season, Cincy will face Tampa Bay on the road and then travel to New England for a Saturday game. The following week, the Bengals get Buffalo at home on Monday night and then close out the regular season with Baltimore at home.
2022 Bengals Regular Season Win Total Prediction
The key for the Bengals going Over their win total of 9.5 is their play in the division. They went 4-2 last season and need to hit that again. Cincy has a number of big games on the road – Dallas, Tennessee, Tampa Bay, and New England.
If the Bengals manage to go 4-2 in the division, getting to 10 wins will still be extremely difficult. The Bengals defense is good, but it’s not quite an elite level unit yet. That’s why getting to nine wins is almost assured. Getting the 10th? Not so much.
PICK: CINCINNATI BENGALS UNDER 9.5 (+105)
Read our 2022 Steelers win total prediction next.
