Bengals vs. Ravens vs. Steelers vs. Browns: Who Will Win the AFC North?

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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The entire AFC North is within one game of each other, making it the most competitive division in the league. The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers made up ground with wins this week, while the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns missed opportunities to take jumps with their losses. 

WynnBET doesn’t have the AFC North odds up just yet, but we can get a sense of how they feel about the division through the Super Bowl odds. 

Baltimore and Cleveland still have the most love from the oddsmakers to win it all, with their odds at +3500. Cincinnati isn’t far behind at +4000, but the Steelers are behind the pack at +15000.

As of right now though, the Bengals are the only AFC North team in the playoffs. The Ravens and Steelers hold the eighth and ninth seeds while the Browns fell to the 12th seed after their loss to the Raiders. 

The play here would be the Cincinnati Bengals. With Lamar Jackson out/limited and the Ravens having the toughest remaining schedule, it would be a lot to ask of Tyler Huntley to bring the Ravens out of this hole. The same goes for the COVID-ravaged Browns and the Steelers – who haven’t had a convincing win since October. 

The Bengals have a top 10 scoring offense and are just outside the top 10 in scoring defense. While their win against the Denver Broncos wasn’t massive, it was a good, tough win. The Bengals still have a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but also have their final matchup with the Browns and the Ravens. 

If Cincinnati can go 2-1 in this stretch, the division should be theirs. The Bengals blew out the Ravens in their matchup and then were blown out by the Browns in theirs. Both of those scores will be closer, and the thought of Burrow carrying this team again is a comfortable one for me.