Bengals enter Week 1 as TD favorite over Steelers

The Cincinnati Bengals made a surprising playoff run last season, defeating the Raiders, Titans, and Chiefs in the AFC and then falling to the Rams in the Super Bowl. It was their first Super Bowl appearance since the 1988 season.

That run put them in the national spotlight several times, and this season, their betting odds could certainly reflect that success and projected continued success. Cincinnati's regular season win total is set at 10 per DraftKings.

Their Week 1 matchup presents an even more interesting betting opportunity as the Pittsburgh Steelers, widely considered Cincinnati's biggest rival, comes to town. Kickoff is set for 1 pm ET.

The line is currently set at 6.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook with the odds at -110 both ways.

Cincinnati is -6.5, which means if you bet on the Bengals, you only win if they both win the game and outscore the Steelers by more than 6. The Steelers, on the other hand, can lose and a bettor still wins but must lose by 6 or fewer.

It’s an interesting line with it being right at a touchdown.

Pittsburgh is a tough team to bet against in this scenario as it’ll likely take the air out of the ball with second-year star running back Najee Harris.

Mike Tomlin has also had a positive covering record for three of the last four seasons. Their defense is the real deal as well with T.J. Watt having his eyes set on quarterback phenom Joe Burrow.

The Bengals will have Jessie Bates back in action along with a strong defensive line and a terrific linebacking corps led by Logan Wilson. If I were to play this game, the smartest wager would be the Under 44 (-110) which can also be found at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Also, for what it’s worth, DraftKings already has odds for Week 11 when the Steelers host the Bengals. The early spread has Cincinnati as a 2.5-point favorite. We’re obviously still a ways away from that Sunday Night Football clash, but it’s nice to know Cincinnati is already favored to win that contest.