When the NFL schedule dropped, the Cincinnati Bengals suddenly became the hottest ticket in town—and for good reason.

For the first time in franchise history, the Bengals are favored in more games than ever before. That’s a remarkable turnaround for a team that’s been fighting to reclaim its place among the AFC elite.

What’s driving the buzz? It starts with a top-three quarterback in Joe Burrow, but the real story is how the front office finally broke from tradition. In a bold, generational move, they pulled off the Dexter Lawrence trade, spent aggressively in free agency, and now face a schedule that’s much kinder than last year’s brutal gauntlet.

Here’s how the experts see the Bengals stacking up this season:

Bleacher Report (Moe Moton): 10-7, AFC North champions. Moton points to a defensive overhaul as the key difference-maker. "The Bengals are competitive with Burrow healthy, but the addition of Lawrence and Jonathan Allen could turn a bottom-tier defense into a solid group that can help this club get back into the playoffs."

ESPN (Ben Baby): A tough 0-2 start, but then the team finds its rhythm and contends for the division title. Baby highlights a major advantage: "The Bengals have the third-easiest schedule in the league (opponents had a .450 winning percentage in 2025)."

Fox Sports (Ben Arthur): 11-6. Arthur trusts that Burrow alone guarantees at least nine wins. He praises the defensive additions—Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Jonathan Allen—but warns there are limits. "They’ve remade their defensive line... They added a reliable veteran in Bryan Cook at safety. I don’t think the moves Cincinnati has made are enough to get it back into the AFC’s upper echelon, but the team should be back in the postseason mix."

Sports Illustrated (Matt Verderame): 9-8, the most conservative projection. Verderame points to the defense’s poor track record in recent years as reason for caution, despite the splashy offseason additions.

Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, one thing is clear: the Bengals have remade their identity this offseason. With a softer schedule, a healthy franchise QB, and a revamped defense, Cincinnati is no longer just a dark horse—they’re a team the league is watching closely.