Bengals Are Underdogs at Houston, But Joe Burrow Has Been a Betting Hero in Such Spots

Cincinnati QB presents as a rare sure bet as a road underdog

Nov 27, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) drops back to pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Bengals will try to match some rare franchise history Sunday when they travel to play the Houston Texans.

That’s because they’ll be attempting to do it as an underdog.

The Texans (0-1, 0-1 against the spread) are 2.5-point favorites against the Bengals (1-0, 1-0), who will be trying to start 2-0 in back-to-back seasons for just the third time in franchise history.

The only other times the Bengals started 2-0 in consecutive years were 2014-15 and 2005-06.

Overall, Cincinnati has started 2-0 just 15 times in the previous 58 seasons.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has a modest record of 8-11-1 in road games as an underdog of at least 2.5 points.

But Burrow and the Bengals have an incredible record against the spread in those games, going 13-1 in the last 13.

The lone loss in that stretch was the 2023 Thursday night game at Baltimore when he suffered the season-ending wrist injury in the first half.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow is 13-1 ATS in Last 14 as Road Underdog

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow runs away from Buffalo Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa and gets off a pass during first half action at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 7, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The list:

Wk. 14, 2025: +5.5, Bills 39, Bengals 34

Wk. 13, 2025: +8, Bengals 32, Ravens 14

Wk. 10, 2024: +6, Ravens 35, Bengals 34

Wk. 2, 2024: +6.5, Chiefs 26, Bengals 25

Wk. 11, 2023: +3.5, Ravens 34, Bengals 20

Wk. 8, 2023: +4, Bengals 31, 49ers 17

Divisional, 2022: +5.5, Bengals 27, Bills 10

Wk. 5, 2022: +3, Ravens 19, Bengals 17

AFC CG, 2021: +7, Bengals 27, Chiefs 24 OT

Divisional, 2021: +4, Bengals 19, Titans 16

Wk. 15, 2021: +3, Bengals 15, Broncos 10

Wk. 7, 2021: +6, Bengals 41, Ravens 17

Wk. 3, 2021: +2.5, Bengals 24, Steelers 10

Wk. 6, 2020: +7.5, Colts 31, Bengals 27

The last time Burrow failed to cover the spread in a road game he started and finished as an underdog of 2.5 points or more was Week 5 of his rookie year at Baltimore, when the Ravens were favored by 12.5 and won 27-3.

Sunday will be the Bengals’ sixth career road game against the Texans in the regular season and eighth overall, including the 2011 and 2012 Wild-Card round games. And Cincinnati has been an underdog in every matchup.

The Bengals have covered the spread in each of their last three trips to face the Texans.

Cincinnati was a 7.5-point underdog in 2020 and walked away with a 37-31 victory.

The Bengals were 3-point underdogs on Christmas eve in 2016 and lost 12-10 when Randy Bullock missed a 43-yard field goal at the gun.

And in 2014, Cincinnati was a 2.5-point underdog and won the game 22-13.

The Bengals are 4-3 overall as road underdogs against the Texans.

The last time Cincinnati was an underdog of at least 2.5 points in a road game against a team with a losing record was the 2021 finale at Cleveland when the Bengals were resting all their starters.

They entered as 5.5-point underdogs and lost 21-16.

The last time it happened when the Bengals played their best players was the 2020 game in Houston when they pulled off a 37-31 upset.

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