AFC North Win Total Odds, Best Bets: High Expectations For Ravens, Bengals

Following another season where at least two of its teams reached the playoffs, the AFC North once again looks like one of the best divisions in the NFL in 2025.

The high expectations across the AFC North start in Baltimore, where Lamar Jackson gives the Ravens both a high floor and a high ceiling.

Meanwhile, the Bengals have enough elite talent at QB and WR to justify playoff expectations, even on a roster with a number of holes, and the Steelers are always in the mix under Mike Tomlin.

But while the Ravens, Bengals and Steelers are all expected to at least contend for a playoff spot, the Browns are projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL.

2025 AFC North Win Total Odds

Best Baltimore Ravens 2025 Win Total Bet

This time last year, Baltimore was replacing multiple starting O-linemen and top defensive coaches from 2023, including defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

That led to legitimate questions about the Ravens’ ceiling in 2024. This year, however, I’m not sure what the case against this team — which is 35-16 in the regular season over the last three years — would be.

Last year, the defense hardly missed a beat in Zach Orr’s first season as DC, and the Ravens recovered from an 0-2 start to finish 12-5.

I don’t have a hot (or particularly original) take here — I like Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and Kyle Hamilton to once again lead one of the best teams in the league, at least in the regular season.

Best bet: Over 11.5 Wins (-115 at DraftKings) — 1 unit

Best Cincinnati Bengals 2025 Win Total Bet

The story in Cincinnati has been the same for a few years now, and the pressure is mounting after back-to-back 9-8 seasons without a playoff appearance.

The Bengals have an enviable situation on one side of the ball, as Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins virtually guarantee a top-10 scoring offense every year.

But Cincinnati has been awful defensively the last two years, and on paper, the Bengals D doesn’t look much better entering 2025. New defensive coordinator Al Golden, who replaced Lou Anarumo this offseason, has his work cut out for him, even if Trey Hendrickson ends up playing 17 games at a high level after an offseason-long contract dispute.

Between an offensive line that has been a major weakness, the well-documented defensive issues and what’s become a terrible habit of slow Septembers (the Bengals started out 1-4 in 2024, 1-3 in 2023 and 2-3 in 2022), there are plenty of reasons to take this team to go under 9.5 wins.

While the Bengals — who open this season with Cleveland at home in Week 1 and Jacksonville on the road in Week 2 — should be able to avoid another bad start, taking them to go under 9.5 wins is a lot more tempting than taking them to win 10 games given the legit question marks regarding just about every aspect of this team besides the passing game.

Best bet: Under 9.5 (-110 at FanDuel, bet365)

Best Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Win Total Bet

Mike Tomlin has proven over the last couple of years that he can keep his team not only afloat, but in the playoffs, even with QB play that leaves a lot to be desired.

In the best-case scenario, Aaron Rodgers (even at 41 years old) could give the Steelers the best quarterback situation they’ve had since Ben Roethlisberger led the 2020 team to an 11-0 start.

Obviously, though, the range of outcomes for this team is massive given Rodgers’ up-and-down play and injury issues over the last few seasons.

Pittsburgh might be the best example in the league of a high-floor team (Tomlin has never had a losing record in 18 years with this franchise), which makes Over 8.5 wins hard to resist, though it’s obviously a roll of the dice given the possibility of Rodgers missing time.

Ultimately, though, a diminished version of Rodgers (assuming he stays upright) would still be much better than what Pittsburgh had under center in 2022 and 2023, when Kenny Pickett-quarterbacked teams won nine and 10 games, respectively, while finishing 26th and 28th in the NFL in scoring.

Best bet: Over 8.5 Wins (-110 at FD, bet365) — 1 unit

Best Cleveland Browns 2025 Win Total Bet

Oddsmakers see the Browns as a strong candidate to finish with the worst record in the NFL in 2025, and that’s understandable after last year’s 3-14 finish.

Joe Flacco is expected to start at QB in Week 1. He’ll be at the helm of a unit with an aging O-line and question marks at both running back and wide receiver.

The Browns have a couple of studs on defense in DE Myles Garrett and CB Denzel Ward, but the Cleveland D as a whole struggled in 2024, and it will miss talented LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck) this season.

Cleveland, like New Orleans, not only has its over/under listed at 5.5, but it is heavily favored to go under. If you’re looking for value when betting on this team’s regular season win total, I’d suggest taking it to go under its alt total of 4.5, which is available at the tempting price of +135 at DraftKings.

Best bet: (Alt) Under 4.5 Wins (+135 at DraftKings) — 1 unit

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