AFC North Ravens And Bengals 2024 NFL Schedules, Odds And Betting Preview

Previews and betting tips for the 2024 NFL season – Ravens and Bengals

The 2024 NFL season kicks off with a Thursday/Friday doubleheader starting Sept. 5 with the full Week 1 Sunday schedule Sept. 8. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs (-3, 46.5) host the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5 in an AFC playoff rematch with those two teams the AFC favorites to reach Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025 in New Orleans. The AFC North Ravens and Bengals are key AFC and division contenders along with the Cleveland Browns. The season preview for the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals shows a tight 2-way race with the the Bengals now taking more money and a dead heat with both the Ravens and Bengals +150 to win the AFC North at top online sportsbook, BookMaker.

NFL Week 1 Matchups And Odds – My update in Forbes

But as training camp continues and football and fantasy fans get the juices flowing ahead of the 2024 NFL season, sports bettors are pouring through the teams schedules, rosters, stats, odds, futures and props and making bets at leading online sportsbooks. That includes on the AFC teams and NFC teams with AFC North Ravens and Bengals.

AFC West – Chiefs and Chargers
AFC West – Raiders and Broncos 
AFC East – Bills and Jets
AFC East – Dolphins and Patriots
AFC North – Browns and Steelers
AFC South – Texans and Jaguars
AFC South – Titans and Colts

Football odds from top online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. AFC North Ravens and Bengals. 

Baltimore Ravens

Season Win Total: 11 (Under -169) and +511 most wins – Bet Under (10.5 if less juice preferred)
Division Odds: +150 / AFC Odds: +538 / Super Bowl Odds: +904
Record Last 2 Years: 13-4, 10-7
Head Coach: John Harbaugh (17th year)

Ravens Schedule, Odds and Props

Division games and advance point spreads (DraftKings)

Week 5 at Cincinnati Bengals (BAL +1.5 / 46.5)
Week 8 at Cleveland Browns (BAL -1 / 45.5)
Week 10 Cincinnati Bengals (BAL -3 / 46) Thurs
Week 11 at Pittsburgh Steelers (BAL -3 / 43)
Week 16 Pittsburgh Steelers (BAL -6 /42.5) Sat
Week 18 Cleveland Browns  (BAL -4.5 / 44.5)

Other Key Games
Week 2 Las Vegas Raiders (BAL -7.5 / 44.5)
Week 3 at Dallas Cowboys (BAL +1 / 48)
Week 4 Buffalo Bills (BAL -3 / 47.5) SNF
Week 12 at Los Angeles Chargers (BAL -3 / 47) MNF
Week 13 Philadelphia Eagles (BAL -3.5 / 46.5) Bet Eagles early
Week 17 at Houston Texans (BAL -1.5 / 46.5)

Bye: Week 14

Home: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Denver, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo Bills
Away: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Kansas City, LA Chargers, NY Giants, Houston, Tampa Bay

Key Player Props (regular season)

QB Lamar Jackson – O/U 3,300.5 Passing Yards / 22.5 Passing TD’s / 725.5 Rushing Yards / 5.5 Rushing TD’s / 8.5 Interceptions and +1611 MVP.
RB Derrick Henry – O/U 1,000.5 Rushing Yards / 10.5 Rushing TD’s / 195.5 Rec Yards / 25.5 Receptions
WR Zay Flowers – O/U 900.5 Receiving Yards / 78.5 Rec Yards / 5.5 Rec TD’s
TE Mark Andrews – O/U 800.5 Rec Yards / 70.5 Receptions / 6.5 Rec TD’s
LB Roquon Smith  – O/U 155.5 Tackles & Assists

Stats and Notes (check back ahead of season for more betting notes). Handicapping and research includes sources and stats from beat writers, team sites and press notes, bettors and newsletters or betting guides like VSiN, Sharp Football, Playbook, CleveAnalytics, ESPN Stats & Info and more including FairwayJay’s proprietary data base and stats.

The Ravens are 172-109 SU under head coach John Harbaugh, including a profit-producing 146-123-12 ATS. But another successful regular season against a top-5 toughest schedule came up short in the playoffs.The Ravens posted the largest point differential (+204) and ranked #1 in ATS margin (+8.3 pts/gm) in the NFL last season. But even with a dominating defense, the Ravens have been unable to get to the Super Bowl with bumbling Lamar Jackson, who was the league MVP for the second time in 2023. After another failed playoff run, the Ravens parted ways with several starters including 3 offensive linemen and 3 defenders from their dominating defense that allowed a league-low 16.5 points per game and 4.6 yards per play and was 2nd in EPA allowed with a league-leading 60 sacks and No. 1 in overall takeaways and No. 2 in EPA gained from takeaways on defense. The Ravens face another top-6 most difficult schedule in 2024 with no less than 7 top-rated QB’s, accoring to Cleve Analytics. They’ll do so with a new defensive coordinator, defensive line and defensive backs coach. The Ravens have won 10+ games in four of Lamar Jackson’s five seasons as a starter, but there is significant turnover, key players and positions lost and Jackson is injury-prone with last season his first in the past three season he played more than 12 games. Veteran Josh Johnson is the backup QB, and two rookies are behind him in training camp presenting issues if Lamar misses time and/or is injured. Both RB’s left and 30-year-old future HOF Derrick Henry is the running back to start the season with questions along the offensive line.

Pro Football Focus Offensive Line Rankings Entering 2024 Season (Ravens No. 25, Bengals No. 21)

Betting: See the Ravens longtime SU/ATS records above, and then note that QB Lamar Jackson is 13-5 SU and 15-2-1 ATS as either a ‘Dog or a favorite of fewer than 3 points, including 9-0-1 ATS the last ten games. Baltimore is also 52-18 in regular season games Jackson starts, but 4-9 in their other 13 games. After wiping out Houston in the divisional round last season, the Ravens were a 4 to 4.5 point home favorite vs. the Chiefs in the biggest game , AFC Championship. Jackson faltered with 1 INT and 1 fumble lost in a 17-10 loss. Jackson had 7 INT’s and 11 fumbles (6 lost) last season. Of more significance in the playoff loss to the Chiefs was how and why the Ravens didn’t run the ball more or power run their way (3 early down runs) to success and instead had Lamar throwing the ball more in the rain. Mind bogling (OC Todd Monken). The Ravens have the No. 1 net rest advantage (16 days) of all teams this season. Since 1990, Harbaugh is 17-4 outright, including 4-0 SU/ATS as an underdog, in games when his team is playing with rest. The Ravens are on a 13-3 ATS run vs. the Browns and 7-straight Ravens-Steelers games have gone under the total.

FairwayJay has been a top of the leaderboard point spread prognosticator with 57% ATS success posting his NFL underdog picks weekly the past 7 years. That includes an unmatched 70% season in 2021 going 28-12 ATS. His previous NFL handicapping, strategics and sports betting success included 8 straight winning NFL seasons (57.3% ATS) starting in 2003 while independently documented and a professional handicapper including 52-28 ATS (65%) bursting onto the national scene his rookie year (feature Las Vegas Sun). FairwayJay provided weekly insight on a most popular daily sports betting and handicapping radio show heard in Las Vegas and nationwide on SiriusXM radio.

FairwayJay’s NFL handicapping contest success includes back-t0-back 60% seasons and top 6% finishes in the Westgate SuperContest.

Cincinnati Bengals

Season Win Total: 10.5 (Over -125) and +1000 most wins
Division Odds: +150 / AFC Odds: +724 / Super Bowl Odds: +1341
Record Last 2 Years: 9-8, 12-4
Head Coach: Zac Taylor (6th year)

Bengals Schedule, Odds and Props

Division games

Week 5 Baltimore Ravens (CIN -1.5 / 46.5)
Week 7 at Cleveland Browns (CIN -1 / 46.5)
Week 10 at Baltimore Ravens (CIN +3 / 46) Thurs
Week 13 Pittsburgh Steelers (CIN -5 / 44.5)
Week 16 Cleveland Browns (CIN -3.5/ 45.5) Thurs
Week 18 at Pittsburgh Steelers (CIN -1 / 43.5)

Other Key Games
Week 2 at Kansas City Chiefs (CIN +3.5 / 49)
Week 8 Philadelphia Eagles (CIN -3 / 47.5)
Week 14 at Dallas Cowboys (CIN +1 / 48.5) MNF

Bye: Week 12

Home: Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Denver, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Washington, New England
Away: Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Kansas City, LA Chargers, NY Giants, Tennessee, Carolina

Key Player Props

QB Joe Burrow – O/U 4,000.5 Passing Yards / 27.5 PassTD’s / 9.5 INT
RB Zack Moss – O/U 725.5 Rushing Yards / 5.5 Rushing TD’s
WR Ja’Marr Chase O/U 1,275.5 Rec Yards / 102.5 Receptions / 8.5 Rec TD’s
WR Tee Higgins – 900.5 Receiving Yards, 70.5 Receptions / 5.5 Rec TD’s
LB Logan Wilson O/U 125.5 Tackles & Assists

Ja’Marr Chase is +726 most receiving yards and +559 most receiving TD’s at BookMaker. Joe Burrow +800 most passing yards and +1100 most passing TD’s, +234 comeback player of the year and +856 MVP. Zac Taylor +1409 coach of the year.

Stats and Notes – Pro Football Focus rates the Bengals as the most likely team to go from worst to first in their division this season after Cincinnati went 9-8 last season in the toughest division in football. The Bengals played the toughest schedule in the NFL last season, and now get one of the easier schedules in 2024 playing a last place schedule that ranks in the top quartile of easiest in the league. Cincinnati’s weakness this season appears to be at running back and in the secondary, which allowed a league-worst 8.1 yards per pass last seaon. Gone is RB Joe Mixon to the Texans, and filled with the signing of Zach Moss. Nose tackle D.J. Reader was instrumental in the teams run defense, and he’s moved on to the Detroit Lions. Two seasons ago the Bengals won their second-straight AFC North title going 12-4 during the 2022 season. A strong start to the 2024 season is projected with four of the Bengals first six games against teams that were a combined 16-52 in 2023. The Commanders, Giants, Panthers and Patriots finished last season 14 net games below their projected season win totals. With the addition of three offensive lineman at 6-foot 8 and a least 340 pounds, the Bengals believe protecting their franchise quarterback is most important. Joe Burrow’s nagging calf injury to start last season led to offensive inefficiency with the Bengals scoring just 49 points in their first four games (1-3), and Cool Joe was last in the league in YPA (4.8) and EPA + CPOE among qualified QBs. The Bengals then won 4-straight games before Burrow’s wrist injury against Baltimore sent him to the sidelines in mid-November for the rest of the season. Quarterback Jake Browning played very well in Burrow’s absence behind a health and efficient offensive line, but the Bengals defense Bengals ranked 32nd in yards per play allowed, 26th in EPA and last in net yards per pass attempt allowed. The Bengals were outgained on a net yards per play basis in 10 of their first 11 games.

Betting: In 5 season under head coach Zac Taylor, the Bengals actually have a losing record at 42-46 (and a tie). But when QB Joe Burrow arrived as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2020, the Bengals fortunes changed. Cincinnati is 48-36-5 ATS in those five seasons under Taylor, and the Bengals claimed the division title in the 2021 season on their way to the 2022 Super Bowl, which they lost 23-20 to the Rams. The Bengals won the AFC North the following season in 2022 as well. The Bengals are 12-1 vs. a .500 or greater opponent off a SU and ATS win. Cincinnati has also shined vs. non-division opponents going 23-6 SU and 22-5-2 ATS in their last 29 contests, including 15-3 SU and 15-2-1 ATS against non-division winning opponents. Cincinnati’s toughest stretch is a rare 3-games in 11 days starting with back-to-back road games against Dallas (Week 14) and Tennessee (15) before a Thursday night home gave vs. Cleveland on Dec. 19. Those three games in 11 days have only occurred nine times since 2000, and those teams are just 3-6 ATS.

You can bet on it.

AFC North Ravens and Bengals originally posted at OSGA on Aug. 8