Cincinnati Bengals 2026 Schedule One of NFL's Easiest by Projected Betting Win Totals

The 2026 NFL win total strength of schedule projections are live from Warren Sharp. The NFL analyst and handicapper released his projections for the 2026 season, using projected betting win totals for each team's opponents. Those are historically much more accurate than basing schedule strength on the previous season's results.

Cincinnati checked in with the third-easiest schedule in the NFL this coming season after facing a much more difficult schedule in 2025.

This time, the numbers match on both traditional SOS gauges. Cincinnati's 2026 opponents hold the third-lowest total win rate based on last season's records. There is a significant gap between the three easiest schedules (Detroit, New Orleans, Cincinnati) and everyone else.

A Sharper Metric

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'marr Chase (1) walks for the locker room after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. The Browns kicked a last second field goal to win 20-18. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sharp broke down the methodology on Monday.

"Projected win totals incorporate current information about team strength, including offseason acquisitions, injuries, and coaching changes," Sharp wrote. "These projections are crafted by sportsbooks aiming to predict future performance, making them more reflective of a team's current capabilities. While no SOS metric is perfect, using Vegas win totals provides a better indication of what teams could look like in the upcoming season than relying on the previous year's wins.

"We know that certain teams will benefit from luck factors in games next season, such as fumble recoveries, opponent field goal misses, tipped passes that result in interceptions, and red zone variance. But with current projected win totals, the pure luck factors that decide games are not incorporated. Think of it as if they are ignored or are evenly distributed across all 32 teams. But looking at last year’s records, that is not the case. There is not an even distribution of these luck factors, and as a result, prior-year records are skewed due to luck. Thus, incorporating those wonky results into future calculations leads to a higher error rate. Ignoring luck (or distributing it equally among all 32 teams) will increase schedule projection accuracy."

There are zero excuses for the Bengals not to win double-digit games and return to the playoffs for the first time in multiple seasons. Major injuries can always happen (especially to Joe Burrow), but their AFC North third-place schedule, major roster additions, and fully retained coaching staff should drive them to the postseason.

Check out the full look at all 32 schedules below:

NEW: NFL strength of schedule for 2026!

5 easiest schedules:

1️⃣ Lions
2️⃣ Saints
3️⃣ Bengals
4️⃣ Browns
5️⃣ Jets

5 hardest schedules:

2️⃣8️⃣ Rams
2️⃣9️⃣ Cowboys
3️⃣0️⃣ Panthers
3️⃣1️⃣ Dolphins
3️⃣2️⃣ Cardinals

1-32 with insight & analysis:https://t.co/iS1PFqfcxx
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 4, 2026

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