Andrew Avery bet Cincinnati under 9.5 wins at +115 (DraftKings). He argued the Bengals lost key defenders—Sam Hubbard, Jermaine Pratt, Mike Hilton, Sheldon Rankins—and replaced them with downgrades such as T.J. Slayton and an untested second-round linebacker while also switching from respected DC Lou Anarumo to college coach Al Golden. Last year the team became the first in NFL history to average 27.8 points in losses, underscoring how porous the defense was. Avery also flagged a front-loaded schedule that includes the entire NFC North by Week 9 plus road trips to Denver and Buffalo, a shaky offensive line, and the possibility one injury derails an already thin roster.