CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Bengals closed out their 2025 calendar year by beating the Cardinals on Sunday, 37-14. But that’s only what the scoreboard at Paycor Stadium said. There were more winners and losers than just the two teams.

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are home betting favorites to close the 2025 NFL regular season. Cincinnati is a 7.5-point favorite against Cleveland on the spread, with a point total sitting at 44.5.

The Cincinnati Bengals have just two games left before the season comes to a close. Those games won’t have playoff implications after the season went off the rails in more ways than one. As such, there’s a balancing act between wanting to win the remaining games and thinking about the future.

(PFF grades every player on every play and uses a scale of 0-100, with higher grades indicating better play. PFF has explained its grades this way: 100-90 elite; 89-85 Pro Bowler; 84-70 starter; 69-60 backup; 59-0 replaceable. In other words, it’s similar to how we would match up percentages with traditional letter grades in school.)

CINCINNATI — The Bengals' opponents for the 2026 regular season are set following the conclusion of Saturday night's Week 17 games. Cincinnati will finish third in the AFC North, regardless of what happens over the final two games. That was the determining factor in establishing their list of opponents for next season.

Preview the NFL week 17 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cardinals, including betting odds, tips, trends, and game information.

The Cincinnati Bengals ' opponents for the 2026 NFL regular season are set, with the team's third-place finish in the AFC North this season.

Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart grabbed his first NFL sack during Sunday’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. After the game, Stewart told reporters he’s putting the ball in a case at his home to remember the special moment.