Cincinnati Bengals Odds: +2500 to win Championship after 0-3 start

The Cincinnati Bengals, who entered the season among the favorites in the NFL outright market, have started the 2024 season with an 0-3 record.

That's despite having superstar QB Joe Burrow back under center after he was limited to 10 games last season.

The Bengals are now +2500 to win it all. They entered this season +1200 to go all the way, having fallen at the final hurdle at the end of the 2021 season with a healthy Burrow.

Plus, Cincy is now +350 to win the AFC North - the third-shortest odds of the four teams - after they entered the season as +165 second-favorites.

With the offseason additions of safety Geno Stone, DT Sheldon Rankins, TE Mike Gesicki and draft picks OT Amarius Mims and DT Kris Jenkins, fans and experts thought this team would be right back among the AFC's elite.

So far, that has not been the case. Cincy lost 16-10 to the New England Patriots in Week 1, 26-25 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, and 38-33 to the Washington Commanders in Week 3.

Each game has been decided by a single score, and when you look at the team's season-long averages through Week 3, they lead their opponents in key stats including points per drive, turnover percentage, penalty yards and first downs.

The Bengals offense has not been able to move the ball consistently, and its defense has not been able to contain opposing offenses well enough.

In the game against the Patriots, Cincy went three-and-out in its first three drives and fumbled on New England's 15-yard line as the Pats built up a 10-0 lead at halftime, which they extended to 13-0 with a field goal early in the third quarter.

The Bengals finally got on the board with 1:10 left in the third quarter thanks to a Zack Moss rushing TD, but it was too little, too late at that point. The Pats took six minutes and 10 seconds off the clock with their next drive which ended in a field goal, and Cincy could only answer with a field goal of their own.

In the Bengals last drive against the Pats, Burrow and Co. could only gain five yards before an illegal substitution penalty on fourth down with 2:19 on the clock effectively ended the game.

The game against the Chiefs had a simpler storyline.

The teams traded scores throughout the game, but a Burrow fumble returned for a touchdown broke the game open and gave Kansas City a 23-22 lead early in the fourth quarter. Cincy answered with a field goal, but the Chiefs kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired.

Most recently, on Monday Night Football in Week 3 against the Commanders, the Bengals struggled to contain rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Cincy was down 21-13 at halftime because while Washington scored three TDs, the Bengals scored just one with two field goals.

Washington made it 28-13 just after halftime, and while two consecutive Bengals scores plus a Commanders field goal made the score 31-27, a 27-yard TD pass from Daniels to Terry McLaurin sealed the Bengals' fate.

The Bengals play the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, and Cincy are -4.5-point road favorites. Just 10 days ago, this would have been seen as an easy win for Cincy, but the Panthers are coming off a 36-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Odds mentioned within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.