Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano is not bullish on the Bengals' chances of winning double-digit games this fall. He has the team going under its 9.5-win betting total.
Cincinnati has gone under its total in back-to-back seasons.
"Don’t let this team fool you into going over just because they have Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase," Manzano wrote. "Last year, the Bengals had one of the best offenses in the league, but only produced nine wins and missed the postseason due to a poor defense. Cincinnati didn’t do much to improve the defense, and there’s a chance edge rusher Trey Hendrickson isn’t on the roster by Week 1."
The opening month and Hendrickson's status will have a huge effect on Cincinnati's chances at 10-plus wins.
Cincinnati is in the middle of the NFL's strength of schedule rankings and could take advantage of that slate with a minor improvement on defense. Three consecutive years of near .500 football would be a massive disappointment in this part of the Joe Burrow era.
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