Cincinnati Bengals To Make The Playoffs Odds & Chances

The Cincinnati Bengals have surprised everyone by starting off the season 4-2, only one game behind the division-leading Baltimore Ravens. Their defense has stepped up to make big plays and the offensive line has proved that it can give Joe Burrow enough time in the pocket for him to create success.

Now, we are going to have a discussion that no one thought we would be having at this point or any point in the season: Will the Bengals make the playoffs? Let’s deep dive into the possibility and what they need to do to get there.

Odds to Make the Playoffs

According to the New York Times, the Bengals’ chances of making the playoffs rose from 52% to 58% after their win in Detroit on Sunday. There is a 36 percent chance that they make the wild card, a 13 percent chance they host the wild card and a six percent chance that they will have a first-round bye.

The Bengals' win total projection was 6.5 at the start of the season so you would have to expect that they will easily hit the over on that with already four wins going into week seven of the season.

Key Games Left for the Bengals

Obviously, all of the divisional games are very important for the Bengals. Getting their first divisional win against the Steelers was extremely important to get them off on the right foot. The most important key for the Bengals will be to prevent a sweep from any of their divisional opponents.

A non-divisional game that is a must-win for the Bengals to keep them in the playoff hunt is week 8 vs the Jets in New York. After this game, the Bengals will have a tough schedule until the end of the regular season.

They need to take advantage of playing a 1-4 team by getting another win in the win column before facing tougher opponents in the latter half of the season.

Lastly, in week 13, the Bengals will need to go for a win against the San Francisco 49ers. This is a very winnable game at home that will help the Bengals greatly if they are able to come out on top of this one. Every home game for the Bengals is important to win because it won’t be easy to win on the road against the teams they are playing.

Conclusion

The Bengals need every win they can get to stay in the playoff hunt in a very competitive position. On a five-game winning streak, it doesn’t look like the Ravens will be slowing down, but the Bengals have a chance to go into Baltimore and make that come to an end.

With wins against the Jets and the 49ers and splitting their division games, the Bengals will have eight wins. With one or two more wins, they are sure to make the playoffs which doesn’t seem like a big ask for a team who is finally figuring out how to win close games.