You can tell that there was something special brewing in Cincinnati when the Bengals selected Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Burrow has the “it” factor, a championship pedigree, and has shown the ability to overcome adversity. He is the closest thing we have seen to Tom Brady when it comes to poise and intangibles.
It did not take long for Burrow to flash his greatness on the pro level. Coming off of a significant knee injury while in his second year in the NFL, he led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl berth since Boomer Esiason’s 1989 Cardiac Cats.
From 4-11-1 in 2020 to AFC Champions in the following year, this is no longer the Bengals of yesteryear.
Are The Bengals Super Bowl Contenders After Their Latest Stretch?
Using September 8th’s Super Bowl odds at BetMGM, the Bengals had the 10th best odds to win the Big Game at +2000. The 2022 Bengals were discounted for a team that nearly won Super Bowl 56. You can bet on the Bengals odds after getting some generous welcome bonuses by redeeming the best Ohio sports betting promos.
The Bengals did not have many holes. This was a team loaded with weapons around their franchise quarterback. They used their offseason to upgrade distinct weaknesses along their offensive line. They also did manage to get Burrow more help.
The Bengals signed tight end Hayden Hurst, a former first-round pick. Burrow was also over a year removed from his knee surgery. All things considered, this was a team built to finish the job in 2022.
The oddsmakers did not see it that way, pitting teams like the Packers, Broncos, Rams, and Buccaneers ahead of the Bengals regarding Super Bowl odds. All of those teams are currently sub-.500.
Adversity? No problem for Burrow. He had his appendix removed in the preseason, which resulted in an 0-2 record to start the year. Cincy was 2-3 through the first five games.
Since that 2-3 start, the Bengals are now 8-1 and currently riding a six-game winning streak. During this run, they have defeated teams that include the Chiefs, Titans, and Bucs, who are all atop their respective divisions.
It is not like the Bengals ran through these teams fully healthy, either. All-world wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase missed four games during that 8-1 stretch with a hip injury. In fact, all of Burrow’s most-productive weapons have dealt with injuries during this period. It didn’t matter. The Bengals got the job done.
Closing out the regular season, the Bengals will go on the road against the Patriots, only to end the year with consecutive home games with the Bills and Ravens. One game separating the Bengals, Bills, and Chiefs, the No. 1 seed in the AFC is still in reach. The Bengals own the tiebreaker over Kansas City and play Buffalo in Week 17.
Furthermore, the Bengals may be playing for the AFC North crown when they face off against the Ravens in Week 18. To say that Cincinnati’s final three games of regular season play are all consequential is an understatement. And when it comes to big games, it would be wise to bet on Big Game Burrow.
If you look at all of the AFC’s best teams, Burrow has beaten them all outside of Buffalo. The Bengals have yet to play the Bills in the Burrow era. He will get his chance to defeat another elite signal caller in two Sundays. The Chargers have given Burrow’sBengals fits, but they may not even hold on to their Wild Card spot.
If you ask if the Bengals are Super Bowl contenders? The answer is most certainly yes.
Bengals Super Bowl Odds
The Bengals have the fifth-best odds to win the Super Bowl as of this writing. Cincinnati’s Super Bowl 57 odds are set at +750 at BetMGM.
There is value in the Bengals’ Super Bowl odds. There is also a clear path for the Bengals to get there and win it all. If Cincinnati can get out of the AFC, you can make a case that they are the superior team to anyone in the NFC.
The Eagles may have one loss, but Jalen Hurts has never won anything. Not even a division (yet). How about the Cowboys? Do we trust Dak Prescott in the biggest spot in all of professional sports? The 49ers look like another team that will be hard to beat. Their gravest deficiency is at quarterback, with or without Jimmy Garoppolo under center.
The Bengals check off all of the most crucial boxes when it comes to what you need to win a Super Bowl. The Bengals are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. If they win out and enter the NFL playoffs with this sustained momentum, the Bengals will ride the wave to the first Lombardi Trophy in team history.
