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Cincinnati Bengals Schedule for 2026-27 NFL Season – Bengals Strength of Schedule Analysis, Odds for Super Bowl 61, Conference Winner Odds, and Division Winner Odds
The Cincinnati Bengals have plenty of work to do in the offseason!
Not many would have predicted the Cincinnati Bengals to have such a down year in the 2025-26 season. After all the drama that unfolded between pass rusher Trey Hendrickson and the management, a new one-year deal to bring back their best defender was made.
And not just that, the Bengals also extended the contracts of wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, keeping the core of the offense very much intact. Unfortunately, though, quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury that kept him out for several games, which dealt a massive blow to the team’s chances of progressing to the playoffs.
Having said that, the AFC North, which is generally a very tight division, allowed the Bengals to remain in the hunt for plenty of weeks, but in the end, they were unable to challenge the Steelers and the Ravens at the top.
The Bengals fan base may have wanted a change in coaching, but the management seems to believe head coach Zac Taylor is still the right man to lead this team to glory in the upcoming 2026-27 NFL season.
Cincinnati Bengals Schedule for 2026-27 NFL Season
The Cincinnati Bengals, being a part of the AFC, will play 8 home and 9 away games in the upcoming season based on the league’s alternate year policy.
The Bengals’ schedule includes 6 games against their three divisional opponents from the AFC North, 4 games against another interconference division, the AFC South, and 4 games against an intra-conference division, namely the NFC South.
In addition to that, the Bengals will play 2 third-placed teams, one from the AFC West and the other from the AFC East, along with a third-placed team from the NFC East, since Cincinnati finished third in its division last season.
Opponents
Home/Away
Division
Week
Baltimore Ravens
Home
AFC North
TBD
Cleveland Browns
Home
AFC North
TBD
Pittsburgh Steelers
Home
AFC North
TBD
Jacksonville Jaguars
Home
AFC South
TBD
Tennessee Titans
Home
AFC South
TBD
Kansas City Chiefs
Home
AFC West
TBD
New Orleans Saints
Home
NFC South
TBD
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Home
NFC South
TBD
Baltimore Ravens
Away
AFC North
TBD
Cleveland Browns
Away
AFC North
TBD
Pittsburgh Steelers
Away
AFC North
TBD
Houston Texans
Away
AFC South
TBD
Indianapolis Colts
Away
AFC South
TBD
Miami Dolphins
Away
AFC East
TBD
Atlanta Falcons
Away
NFC South
TBD
Carolina Panthers
Away
NFC South
TBD
Washington Commanders
Away
NFC East
TBD
Understanding how to bet on NFL games is crucial for maximizing the value of our expert picks and making informed wagers each week.
Mike Garafolo on Trey Hendrickson’s future with the #Bengals
"Could it be a tag-and-trade possibility? Perhaps. Sounds like all options are on the table for Hendrickson right now, but it is not a foregone conclusion that his time in Cincinnati is over." pic.twitter.com/EIIyiDNeP4
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Bengals Strength of Schedule Analysis and Prediction for 2026-27 NFL Season
Strength of Schedule Analysis
The strength of schedule for the Cincinnati Bengals will be one of the easiest in the league, with sources indicating it as (.450). The Bengals will have the 3rd easiest schedule for the upcoming 2026-27 NFL season.
Taking a closer look at the Bengals’ schedule, the Ravens could once again be the main threat from within the division. The Steelers have always remained in the hunt for the postseason, but with a new head coach taking over the franchise after nearly 2 decades, it is unclear how they will fare. Neither of the two teams had an excellent record last season, and the Steelers made the playoffs with a (10-7) record.
In any case, Cincinnati has an easier schedule, considering they will be playing multiple teams that missed the postseason last year, including the Browns, Titans, Saints, Colts, Dolphins, and more. In fact, the Bengals have only 6 games against teams that made the playoffs.
Prediction
If we take a look at what the Bengals did on offense last season, they finished just outside the top 10 in scoring points with an average of 24.4 points per game. But that also includes games missed by Joe Burrow due to his injury.
The core of the Bengals’ offense is one of the more talented ones in the league, comprising Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and running back Chase Brown, who had a career year last season. However, one major upgrade needed lies in the O-line.
The Bengals’ O-line has been atrocious for several years now, leading to Burrow getting punished time and again. They certainly need to address that position to achieve greater success.
Moreover, another area the Bengals must improve is their defense. There is already a great possibility that Trey Hendrickson will leave this offseason, and that will weaken the defense even more. The Bengals gave up nearly 30 points per game last season, finishing 30th in the league in scoring defense.
In short, Cincinnati needs to make some quality signings on both sides of the ball. While a healthy Burrow can help keep them in contention during the season, ultimate success will depend on the additional pieces around him.
Our Prediction: Bengals to miss the playoffs in the 2026-27 NFL season.
Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl LXI Odds for 2026-27 Season
According to the latest Super Bowl odds on FanDuel, the Cincinnati Bengals are (+3000) to win Super Bowl 61 next season. FanDuel has the Bengals exactly in the middle of the table with the 16th-best chance of lifting the Lombardi Trophy next year.
In Joe Burrow’s second season with the Bengals, he led this team to the Super Bowl, where they came up short against the Los Angeles Rams. The following season, the Bengals lost in the AFC Championship game, and now, in three successive seasons, they have missed the postseason.
Injuries and defensive struggles have been at the heart of Cincinnati’s troubles. Burrow himself has suffered a couple of injuries, forcing him to miss multiple games, and the defense has been anything but great. Despite putting up plenty of points on offense, the defense has been letting this team down time and again.
So, unless and until they can sort out these major problems, the Bengals look far away from hoisting the first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
Cincinnati Bengals Conference Winner Odds for 2026-27 Season
As for the odds to win the Conference, the Bengals are at (+1300), as per FanDuel. This currently puts the Bengals in ninth place in the AFC, with teams such as the Ravens, Bills, Chargers, Chiefs, and others ahead of them.
What is true of their Super Bowl odds is also true of their chances to win the AFC in the upcoming season. As far as things stand at the moment, Cincinnati will need a massive overhaul on defense, and they will also need some tweaks to the O-line before they can become a dominant force within the conference once again.
Teams such as the Bills, Patriots, Ravens, Chargers, Broncos, and more all look much more balanced and ready to win now. Sadly, that isn’t the case with the Bengals currently.
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Cincinnati Bengals Division Winner Odds for 2026-27 Season
The Bengals’ odds to win the NFC West are set at (+230), as per DraftKings. Those odds place the Bengals only behind the Ravens in the AFC North and ahead of the Steelers and Browns.
While Cincinnati has very low odds to appear in or win Super Bowl 61 next year, its chances at winning the AFC North do not appear as bleak. The main threat to the division crown will come from the Ravens, who let go of head coach John Harbaugh and have replaced him with former Chargers OC, Jesse Minter.
But the core of the roster on both sides of the ball, including Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Kyle Hamilton, and others are still intact. The Browns are struggling and will need a miracle to have any chances of topping the AFC North, while the Steelers might struggle as well after longtime head coach Mike Tomlin stepped away from the position.
That means if the Bengals can take care of most of the business in the offseason, they would at least have a good chance of winning the division and making a return to the playoffs after a three-year hiatus.
The above odds are sourced from FanDuel. Use FanDuel to ace your betting game in all sports!
I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!
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