The Bengals would like nothing more than to clinch their second AFC North title in three years against their hated rivals. And they can do it by sweeping the season series from Steelers for the first time since 2009. No easy task against a Pittsburgh squad that’s gone 8-0 SU and ATS in its last eight December games.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cincinnati Bengals -3
Pittsburgh Steelers +3
Over/Under 47
ODDS ANALYSIS
Pittsburgh has continually found success in Cincinnati going 9-2 ATS in its last 11 trips. Following their only two setbacks of the year, the Bengals followed with consecutive wins and are a sizzling 10-1-1 ATS, good enough to make Andy Dalton’s crew the best bet in the NFL.
KEY INJURIES
William Gay – Sustained a concussion in last week’s game and entered the league’s protocol for those injuries. He is questionable for Sunday’s game. Brandon Boykin will likely start in his place.
Heath Miller – Missed last week’s game with a rib injury and is questionable to play against the Bengals. The Steelers could be down two tight ends as Matt Spaeth continues to deal with a nagging knee injury. Jesse James saw extended action last week.
Adam Jones – Is out for Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. Cincinnati will face the second-ranked offense without its starting cornerback. Safety George Iloka and backup cornerback Leon Hall skipped practice Wednesday and are both questionable to play on Sunday.
KEY MISMATCH
The last time Pittsburgh played Cincinnati it was Ben Roethlisberger’s first game back after missing the previous four with a knee injury. He was rusty, throwing for 262 yards, but his three interceptions, especially two in the fourth quarter, proved to be the difference in a 16-10 loss. Roethlisberger insists he’ll have to play better if the Steelers want to improve their standing in the crowded AFC playoff picture. And since that game he has. The three-time Pro Bowler has thrown for 383.3 yards per game with 10 touchdowns while the Steelers have averaged 35.8 points and 529.0 yards winning three of four. Roethlisberger has used his big-play receiver duo of Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. Brown has totaled 41 catches for 592 yards in the four-game stretch. He had eight receptions for 118 yards and two scores while also returning a punt for a touchdown last week, Pittsburgh’s eighth straight December win. The Bengals played their safeties deep, giving Pittsburgh underneath routes taking the receivers out of the game. Brown and Bryant was each held below 50 receiving yards. Roethlisberger isn’t expecting much to change.
KEY STAT
16.3 – Cincinnati’s NFL-best points per game allowed. The Bengals face an offense that averages 25.8 point for the year, but is scoring 35.8 points per game in its last four.
BETTING ANGLE
It seems as though the AFC North title goes through Pittsburgh, and Bengals coach Marvin Lewis knows he has to beat the Steelers to get it. Cincinnati had a chance to win the division in last season’s finale, only to fall to the Steelers, who won the North with a 27-17 win. Now the Bengals are seeking redemption with a chance to wrap things up at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati is also tied with New England and Denver for the AFC’s top record but owns the tie-breaker with a better conference record. The Bengals have dropped eight of the past 11 meetings since last sweeping the series six years ago, and have also lost 20 of the last 25 at home in the rivalry. The Bengals, though, have been the best bet in the NFL this season with a 10-1-1 ATS record. They won, 16-10, in the Steel City on Nov. 1 in a toss-up game.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
There is bad blood between these teams, but with so much at stake it’s doubtful we’ll see some of the silly extracurricular stuff. This will be a nasty battle between the top two teams in the AFC North. Pittsburgh is playing like the team Roethlisberger envisioned at the beginning of the year when he boldly stated his offense could score 30 points a game. Well, they’ve done better than that in the past four and come in with a heap of confidence after putting up 45 on the Colts last week. The job will be more difficult against Cincy’s defense, which throttled the Steelers a month ago in a 16-10 win at Heinz Field. The Bengals put the clamps on Big Ben’s outside threats and didn’t allow Brown or Bryant to do anything. The longest Steelers pass play was for 25 yards and it went to Miller. Whatever Cincy did worked and expect more of the same. If Roethlisberger can make a few big plays, the Steelers have a chance. But Cincinnati is too strong. A few big plays won’t bother them and Dalton clicks enough to get a home cover win and the division title.
Cincinnati 29, Pittsburgh 24
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals will take place Sunday, December 13, 2015, at 1 p.m. ET at Paul Brown Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
