Bengals NFL playoff odds: Cincinnati would have led AFC North by beating 49ers, now favored to miss postseason; Trey Hendrickson status unknown

The great thing about the NFL regular season, even with the added 17th game, is that every matchup matters. Just ask the Cincinnati Bengals. When the Baltimore Ravens lost earlier Sunday in Cleveland, it opened the door for Cincinnati to take over first place in the AFC North with a victory over the visiting San Francisco 49ers. Alas, the Bengals lost in overtime and now are out of the AFC playoff picture entirely, -225 to miss the postseason and +175 to make it.

At 7-6, Cincinnati sits ninth in the AFC, losing tiebreakers to fellow 7-6 clubs Buffalo and Cleveland but winning one over Denver based on best win percentage in conference games. The Bengals are 5-3 in conference games and the Broncos are 3-5. Cincinnati visits Denver this Sunday in a huge game. The Bengals don't play Buffalo and are 0-1 vs. Cleveland, visiting the Browns in Week 18.

Sunday was the Bengals' third overtime game of the year and they are 1-2 in them. It took a big fourth-quarter comeback to force the OT and while Cincinnati scored first on a 41-yard field goal, San Francisco marched right down the field and scored a touchdown to win.

The SportsLine Projection Model currently forecasts the Bengals to essentially finish 9-8 and with a 23.9 percent chance of winning the AFC North and 36.2 percent shot at the playoffs – 36.2 percent equates to about +175 on the moneyline. The model notes that if Cincinnati beats Denver, the Bengals' playoff percentage jumps to better than 50. The Broncos opened as 1.5-point favorites. The weather looks to be shockingly nice again in the Mile High City.

Will the Bengals have star defensive end Trey Hendrickson vs. Denver? He suffered a back injury late in the second quarter vs. the Niners and didn't return. Hendrickson had a sack on the 49ers' first drive of the game, giving him a sack in nine straight games and extending his franchise record. It's the longest active streak in the NFL and longest ever by a Bengal. The NFL record is 11 straight by KC's Chris Jones. Hendrickson is fifth in the NFL with 12.5 sacks. Early reports are that he didn't suffer any structural damage but no word on his potential Week 15 status. 

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