Ravens Slightly Behind Bengals in AFC North Per Early Oddsmakers

The Ravens are not far behind the Bengals for supremacy in the AFC North next season.

Even though the Bengals swept the regular-season series against Baltimore and advanced to the Super Bowl, the gap is not that large, according to the prognosticators at Pro Football Focus.

They see the AFC North shaping up this way in their pre-draft predictions.

1. Cincinnati Bengals: +150 (40%, 36%)

2. Baltimore Ravens: +200 (33%, 30%)

3. Cleveland Browns: +310 (24%, 22%)

4. Pittsburgh Steelers: +700 (13%, 11%)

Baltimore finished 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

However, the Ravens roster was decimated with injuries last season. If Baltimore can stay healthy this year, there is no reason it can't challenge for a division title.

The Browns could also challenge if they get more productive play from their quarterback. The Steelers are expected to struggle with the uncertainty surrounding their quarterback situation.

PFF's Eric Eager writes:

"While the Browns have never won the AFC North, and haven’t won a division title at all since 1989, this division has had three different winners in the past three years. While it makes sense that the AFC champion would have a leg up, one has to wonder if the Bengals are being overvalued here.

The Ravens, whose top four cap hits for 2022 — Lamar Jackson, Ronnie Stanley, Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters — all missed significant time in 2021, appear to be quite a value here at +200. The Browns, who from players 2-53 might be one of the best rosters in football, would see their odds shorten should they improve at the quarterback position this offseason."

Of course, everything could change with free agency and the draft, but nonetheless, look for the Ravens to have a bounce-back year.

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