If recent history has taught us anything, it’s that while the Cincinnati Bengals are a very talented team, they’re also not adept at starting a season strong.
In each of the past three seasons, the Bengals have started 0-2, 0-2 and 0-3. The latter two slow starts have come back to bite them as they missed the playoffs altogether. That makes this season a critical one for coach Zac Taylor. Another 0-fer start could lead to him getting fired.
Up Interstate 71, there’s a lot of questions about the Cleveland Browns. First and foremost, who will be the starting quarterback come Week 1, and how often will the team change signal callers this season?
While Bengals fans are admittedly nervous about the start of this season and Browns fans are just flat out worried, artificial intelligence applications aren’t influenced by pesky emotions or past performances. At least that’s what BetOhio.com found out when we asked Grok, ChatGPT and Gemini to give us their forecast for each team’s 2025 record. The following is AI’s prediction for each regular season contest across Ohio sports betting.
Week | Opponent | AI Predicted Result |
Week 1 | @ Cleveland Browns | Win, 27-20 |
Week 2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Win, 31-24 |
Week 3 | @ Minnesota Vikings | Win, 28-21 |
Week 4 | @ Denver Broncos | Win, 24-17 |
Week 5 | Detroit Lions | Loss, 27-24 |
Week 6 | @ Green Bay Packers | Loss, 24-16 |
Week 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Win, 24-16 |
Week 8 | New York Jets | Win, 27-17 |
Week 9 | Chicago Bears | Win, 30-20 |
Week 10 | Bye |
|
Week 11 | @ Pittsburgh Steelers | Loss, 20-17 |
Week 12 | New England Patriots | Win, 27-13 |
Week 13 | @ Baltimore Ravens | Loss, 26-20 |
Week 14 | @ Buffalo Bills | Loss, 30-23 |
Week 15 | Baltimore Ravens | Win, 27-24 |
Week 16 | @ Miami Dolphins | Win, 31-21 |
Week 17 | Arizona Cardinals | Win, 30-17 |
Week 18 | Cleveland Browns | Win, 28-20 |
A 12-5 season should make for some very happy people in WhoDey Nation. Even if that mark is not good enough to win the AFC North, it will be good enough for a Wild Card.
That record is possible for Cincinnati this season, especially if they get Trey Hendrickson into camp before Week 1. Check out our Trey Hendrickson Next Team Odds here.
While AI expects them to struggle on the road, the Bengals could pull out one of the games against Green Bay, Baltimore or Buffalo. That said, they’re also likely to drop a seemingly winnable game at home, and the Chicago Bears or Arizona Cardinals could be the team to pull an upset in Cincy this year.
What else stands out from this prediction? BetOhio identified three factors that AI believes will determine the narrative around the Bengals' campaign.
Conclusion: The Bengals’ 12-5 record is driven by Joe Burrow’s leadership exploiting weaker teams like the Jaguars and Cardinals. Wins in key home games, like Week 15 vs. Baltimore, bolster their postseason chances, despite tough road losses to Buffalo and Green Bay.
Meanwhile, in Cleveland…
Week | Opponent | AI Predicted Result |
Week 1 | Cincinnati Bengals | Loss, 27-20 |
Week 2 | @ Baltimore Ravens | Loss, 31-24 |
Week 3 | Green Bay Packers | Loss, 28-21 |
Week 4 | @ Detroit Lions | Loss, 35-24 |
Week 5 | Minnesota Vikings | Loss, 27-20 |
Week 6 | @ Pittsburgh Steelers | Loss, 24-17 |
Week 7 | Miami Dolphins | Loss, 30-24 |
Week 8 | @ New England Patriots | Win, 23-16 |
Week 9 | Bye | - |
Week 10 | @ New York Jets | Loss, 21-7 |
Week 11 | Baltimore Ravens | Loss, 28-21 |
Week 12 | @ Las Vegas Raiders | Win, 27-20 |
Week 13 | San Francisco 49ers | Loss, 31-20 |
Week 14 | Tennessee Titans | Win, 24-17 |
Week 15 | @ Chicago Bears | Loss, 28-24 |
Week 16 | Buffalo Bills | Loss, 34-24 |
Week 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Win, 27-21 |
Week 18 | @ Cincinnati Bengals | Loss, 28-20 |
Starting 0-7 will lead to Kevin Stefanski getting fired, even if the beginning of the season is loaded. While AI believes the Browns will be in most of their games, the 21-7 loss to the Jets in the Meadowlands sticks out, especially coming off a bye week.
If that start does happen, that will likely lead to the team giving the ball to either Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders (or both) to see if they can emerge as the team’s quarterback of the future. If one shows promise, then it gives the Browns something to think about with their two first round draft picks next spring.
What else stands out from this prediction? The 0-7 start will obviously bring about mid-season changes from Browns ownership. What will that look like beyond Gabriel/Sanders getting snaps?
Conclusion: A 4-13 Browns season will cost Kevin Stefanski his job, while Shedeur Sanders will fail to prove that he can be the team's quarterback of the future. Entering next offseason, Browns ownership will consider handing the reigns of the franchise to a proven NFL winner like Bill Belichick.
Thomas Leary contributed to this article.
USA Today photo by Kareem Elgazzar.
The Bengals’ 12-5 record is driven by Joe Burrow’s leadership exploiting weaker teams like the Jaguars and Cardinals. Wins in key home games, like Week 15 vs. Baltimore, bolster their playoff chances, despite tough road losses to Buffalo and Green Bay.
Cleveland’s 4-13 record reflects QB uncertainty and a tough AFC North slate, with losses in divisional games. Their defense secures wins against the Patriots, Raiders, and Titans, but struggles against playoff teams like the 49ers and Bills.
AI predictions from Grok, ChatGPT, and Gemini use roster and schedule data but can’t account for injuries or trades. The Bengals’ 12-5 suggests a playoff run, while Browns’ 4-13 indicates a rebuild. Track odds at BetOhio.com for updates.
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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