For the first time in years, we are approaching midseason and the Cincinnati Bengals are not only in the thick of the playoff picture, they sit atop the AFC standings.
FiveThirtyEight uses an Elo-based model to forecast every NFL team’s chances to win their division, make the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. Much to the delight of Bengals fans everywhere, the current forecast shows high hopes for the men in stripes to be playing postseason football for the first time since the 2015 season.
The model also uses its formula to predict a team’s final record, based on a number of factors.