The Cincinnati Bengals are hanging around in the AFC wild card race, but if they are truly going to be postseason contenders, they will need to come up with some signature wins down the stretch. One could come in Week 13 as they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a matchup of AFC North rivals.
The Steelers are 9-2 on the season and pretty much have the division wrapped up, but the Bengals would love to catch the second-place Ravens, who currently have one of the wild card spots. It won’t be easy for Cincinnati to pull the upset but at least it has this game at home, which should give the Bengals a fighting chance.
The Steelers have won six straight games and currently have the top seed in the AFC. They would love to stay there but must hold off the New England Patriots, and every win is crucial the rest of the way.
This matchup in Week 13 of the regular season will take place on Monday, December 4, 2017, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Paul Brown Stadium.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Pittsburgh Steelers -4.5
Cincinnati Bengals +4.5
Over/Under 43.5
Odds Analysis
The Steelers are the road favorites and the betting public believes in their ability to cover this spread. More than 73 percent of the action is on Pittsburgh to win by five points or more.
The scoring total is pretty middle of the road for an NFL matchup. The “over” is the more popular choice based on the Steelers’ ability to put up points like they have shown in recent weeks.
The Steelers are listed at -220 to win this game on the moneyline and are getting more than 81 percent of the action. The Bengals pay out at +184 if they can pull the upset.
Injury Report
Joe Haden - The Steelers’ cornerback is making progress from a fractured fibula but is not expected to play in this game. Haden was one of the best cover men in the NFL at his peak, and while he isn’t that player any longer, he is still a nice piece, especially considering the Bengals feature star wideout A.J. Green.
Ryan Shazier - The Pittsburgh linebacker suffered an ankle injury last time out, and while it didn’t force him to miss any time against the Packers, Shazier hasn’t practiced yet this week. It seems likely he plays in this game, but if not it is a crucial loss.
Cedric Ogbuehi- The Bengals’ offensive tackle has been limited in practice early in the week with a shoulder injury. Cincinnati is already missing Jake Fisher for the rest of the season and hopes that his fellow offensive lineman can stay healthy. The Steelers have an impressive defense and quarterback Andy Dalton needs to be kept upright to have a shot at scoring points consistently.
Key Stat
75.6. That’s the number of rushing yards per game the Bengals are averaging on the season, which is a paltry figure. Cincinnati drafted Joe Mixon in the second round to help the attack but he is averaging only 3.2 yards per carry.
The Bengals were once upon a time thought to have an impressive trio in the backfield between Mixon, Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill, but it hasn’t panned out. This does not seem like a good matchup as the Steelers have been stingy against the run all year.
They have allowed opposing offenses to average only 96.0 yards rushing per contest. Pittsburgh is likely going to put up some points, and it is incumbent on the Cincinnati offense to keep up. If the run game isn’t effective, it’s going to be a long night.
Free ATS Pick
The Steelers outplayed their record early in the season but now seem to be finding their groove. The Bengals are hanging around in the postseason reach but just don’t seem to be that good of a team.
Take Pittsburgh to both win this game and cover the spread on the road. Cincinnati is likely going to fade from playoff contention down the stretch, and this would be a tough loss to swallow at home against a fierce rival if it happens.
NFL Odds: Steelers 24, Bengals 17
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