We’re just one week away from the start of NFL training camps, with the rookies set to report first.

The AFC North is no shortage of storylines, featuring the surprising worst-to-worst Cincinnati Bengals who made it all the way to a Super Bowl appearance last season. With Joe Burrow under center and young superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the fold, they’re sure to be in the conversation in the AFC North once again.

As we begin our preseason preparations, we’ll preview the AFC North to look at the division win totals.

Provided by BetMGM

Baltimore has the shortest price on the board at +150, while Cincinnati is right behind at +185. Cleveland is available at +300, and Pittsburgh has the longest odds at +900. 

As we’ve done in our other previews, we’ll use each team’s strength of schedule as part of the foundation for our analysis while identifying any key roster moves during the offseason.

The final thing to note is the scheduling composition for the AFC North, as each team will have the following:

Let’s begin with the elephant in the room, the Cleveland Browns. After opening with a win total of 9.5 games, the Browns are currently off the board due to the NFL’s pending investigation of Deshaun Watson. The Browns’ odds likely won’t be back up until the NFL makes a definitive ruling on his status.

This is one prop in which some sportsbooks fell asleep on the wheel.

Sharp bettors have already bet the Browns to go under their win total as recent reports state that the league is pursuing a full year of suspension for the embattled quarterback.

You can be sure that Cleveland’s updated odds will reflect any punishment that Watson might potentially face.

For the first time in 18 years, the Pittsburgh Steelers will begin the season without Ben Roethlisberger as their starting quarterback. The job will now belong to Mitchell Trubisky, who Pittsburgh signed as a free agent during the offseason.

Trubisky spent last year with the Bills backing up Josh Allen. The opportunity to get out of Chicago might’ve served him well in preparation for his new role with the Steelers.

It won’t surprise me if Pittsburgh tries to adopt some of the schemes Trubisky witnessed in Buffalo as the Bills took full advantage of Josh Allen’s dual-threat ability. Let’s not forget that in 2018, Trubisky had a significant role in the Bears’ running game. He rushed for 421 yards and finished third in Total QBR (71.0).

If the Steelers plan to improve in the running game, they’ll need better play from their linemen up front. According to Pro Football Focus, Pittsburgh ranked 26th in run blocking with a 58.5 grade. That’s a big reason the Steelers signed free agents Mason Cole (center) and James Daniels (guard) to three-year deals.

In 2021, Cole had a 75.2 PFF grade in run blocking with the Cardinals, while James received a 71.8 grade with the Bears.

Pittsburgh could lack some experience at the wide receiver position after opting not to resign JuJu Smith-Shuster and James Washington. Instead, the Steelers filled their void by drafting Georgia’s George Pickens in the second round and Calvin Austin III from Memphis in the fourth round.

While it wouldn’t surprise me if the Steelers get off to a slow start, I do think they can find their footing and pick up at least eight victories once they get a few games under their belt.

However, I think the Steelers have a better chance to go over if Trubisky wins the starting job outright over their first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett.

The Steelers and Mike Tomlin usually find a way to get things done as they’ve yet to suffer a losing season during the 15 years in his tenure.

The Cincinnati Bengals should be one of the more intriguing teams this season following their impressive run to the Super Bowl. According to Action Network’s predictive analyst Sean Koerner, the Bengals must navigate the fifth-most challenging schedule to surpass their win total of 9.5 games.

It’s important to note that the Bengals were brutally close to their first title after holding a 20-16 lead in the Super Bowl with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Los Angeles Rams sacked the Bengals quarterback seven times during the game. In response, Cincinnati added Alex Cappa (guard), Ted Karras (center), and La’el Collins (tackle) during the free agency period.

Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked the Bengals’ offensive line 29th in pass blocking with a 53.1 grade. Help should be on the way with all three signings viewed as a massive upgrade. Kappa received a 69.6 grade in pass blocking, while Karras and Collins received a grade of at least 76.

The Bengals also improved their defense through the draft by adding safety Dax Hill (first round) and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (second round). Moreover, five of Cincinnati’s six draft picks were on the defensive side of the ball.

According to Sports Illustrated’s James Rapien, Cincinnati has one of the youngest rosters in the league, with only three players over the age of 30. Two of those players are punter Kevin Huber and long-snapper Clark Harris.

I don’t think the Bengals will be sneaking up on their opponents this season, so I expect opposing teams to give them their best punch. I believe this number is spot on at 9.5, as my projections don’t point to an edge in either direction.

For bettors looking to play them over in the Bengals’ win total, I’d suggest they pay close attention to the final four weeks of their schedule, which includes games against the Buccaneers, Patriots, Bills, and the Ravens.

After Week 12, the Baltimore Ravens were 8-3 on the season and in pole position for a postseason berth. However, the Ravens lost six straight games to finish the year at 8-9 while missing the playoffs altogether. Despite not having their starting quarterback Lamar Jackson, Baltimore lost five of the six games by three or fewer points.

There’s no question the Ravens dealt with massive injuries during the season. The Ravens also had to overcome cluster injuries throughout the season at the running back position and in the secondary. To suffer a similar fate in back-to-back years would be extremely cruel for the Ravens, so I think I’ll take my chances.

I’m confident the Ravens would’ve been a playoff team had they been at full strength. And given their offseason moves, it’s clear the Ravens don’t plan on missing the postseason this time around.

Pro Football Focus graded the Ravens’ offseason with an A following the free-agent signings of defensive tackle Michael Pierce (Vikings), safety Marcus Williams (Saints), and offensive lineman Morgan Moses (Jets).

But it was the NFL Draft where the Ravens had the most success after landing college standouts like safety Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame) and Michigan’s edge rusher David Ojabo.

In total, the Ravens had 11 draft picks, allowing them to add UConn defensive tackle, Travis Jones. Baltimore added center Tyler Linderbaum with the 25th pick and Minnesota’s Daniel Faalele in the fourth round.

But it wouldn’t be a Ravens draft if they didn’t draft at least one tight end. In this instance, Baltimore added two tight ends in the fourth round with Iowa State’s Chalie Kolar and Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah.

Yet, while I fully expect Baltimore to bounce back this season, bettors would have to pay a premium to play the Ravens over their win total of 9.5 games.

And before I’d consider backing the Ravens, I’d like to see Jackson continue his evolvement as a pocket passer. While I lean to the over, I’m less willing to lay the juice at the current market price.