The bookmakers aren't believers in the Cincinnati Bengals.

Instead, they're putting their faith in the Baltimore Ravens to win their seventh AFC North title.

The original favorites had been the Cleveland Browns, but their odds have slipped from their consensus at around +190 to a current consensus of +300. The Browns haven't won a division crown since 1989 — when the AFC North hadn't even existed. 

That recent skid in odds prices can be best attributed to Cleveland's uncertainty at quarterback. 

The Browns had found themselves atop the AFC North leaderboard in late March after the addition of quarterback Deshaun Watson. Soon, however, it became apparent that the NFL was poised to recommend a lengthy suspension because the quarterback had been credibly accused of sexual assault by at least 24 women over the course of the last few years.

Watson missed all of last season because of the civil lawsuits levied against him and a simultaneous criminal investigation. Two separate grand juries chose not to indict Deshaun Watson for sexual assault or misconduct. Watson has denied all allegations.

An independent judge determined that Watson should be suspended eight games. The NFL is currently appealing that determination and Commissioner Roger Goodell has recently said he would like to see Watson suspend for the entire season. 

Until Watson's punishment is determined for good, the Ravens are the favorite in the division. The Browns' decision to deal Baker Mayfield to the Panthers didn't do much to impact odds, either.

A lackluster 2021 season saw the Ravens decimated by injuries on both sides of the ball, culminating in a six-game losing streak to end the year. They had looked poised for a guaranteed playoff spot before the losing streak, in which Lamar Jackson was out with an ankle injury.

Oddsmakers don't expect this team to suffer the same injury woes that they did last season — a ridiculous sequence of events in which more than half of the team's starters on both sides of the ball were on the injury report late in the year. They were rolling with a fifth-string corner at the No. 1 role at one point.

This is still the same core group — the same pedigree — that has allowed Baltimore to compete for championships throughout the Jackson era. Only two and a half years ago, the Ravens were the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a clear road to the Super Bowl. 

While Vegas thinks Baltimore and Cleveland are likely to rebound after lost seasons, they're not as bullish about the defending AFC champions.

Cincinnati took the AFC North crown last season with three big wins down the stretch against the Kansas City Chiefs, Ravens and away to the Broncos. They rode that gravy train straight into the Super Bowl, beating the Raiders, the No. 1 seeded Titans on the road and the Chiefs again on the road. Of course, the Bengals ultimately fell short in a tight Super Bowl to the Los Angeles Rams.

Was it a fluke? Can Cincy's paltry offensive line really hold on for another 17 games without Joe Burrow suffering some sort of catastrophic injury? The markets don't think it's very likely this team can pull it together again. Still, their odds are about +195 across the market.

The Steelers are almost an afterthought here, according to oddsmakers. Pittsburgh is about +1000 to win a division they once dominated a mere half decade ago on account of Ben Roethlisberger's retirement and an offense that's in disarray. The Steelers may have to rock with Mitchell Trubisky at starting QB next season — that's how dire the straits are in western Pennsylvania right now.

Still, these odds are early — it's only June. Make sure to check with us throughout the coming weeks for up to date odds across the betting market.

Odds via Caesars and updated in real-time.