The Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night in a game that can be seen on ESPN. The Steelers need a game that looks to be easy, as Pittsburgh is coming off their first two losses of the season, as they were beaten by Washington and Buffalo. Not many people are giving the Bengals any chance of being competitive in this game, as the Steelers are listed as 13-point road favorites. Let’s look at the Monday night matchup and NFL picks.
Watch this regular season NFL Week 15 matchup on Monday, December 21, at 8:15 p.m. ET from Paul Brown Stadium. Catch the game live on ESPN and bet on NFL odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
NFL Odds at Bookmaker.eu
Pittsburgh Steelers -13
Cincinnati Bengals +13
Total 40.5
Odds Analysis
The early line movement has gone toward the Bengals. The opening line had the Steelers listed as a 13.5-point favorite and the number is down to 13. There are indications the number will drop to 12.5. The total opened at 41 and has dropped to 40.5. It appears the total is going to drop to 40.
Injury Report
The Steelers are banged up on both sides of the ball. They are without a number of starters on both sides of the ball and now offensive guards Matt Feiler and Kevin Dotson have shoulder injuries. Pittsburgh’s offensive line is a mess and the Steelers are not going to win in the playoffs unless some of their players get healthy. Pittsburgh is also hurting at linebacker, as almost all of their top linebackers are hurt. The Steelers had to activate Cassius Marsh off the practice squad this week. On the other side, Cincinnati quarterback Brandon Allen suffered a bruised knee in last week’s loss to Dallas. He is listed as day-to-day. If Allen can’t go then it would be Ryan Finley getting the start. It seems likely that Allen will be fine and he is coming off his best game as Bengal, as he completed 27-of-36 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown.
Key Matchup
The only chance for Cincinnati in this game is if their defense can keep Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh passing attack under control. The problem for Cincinnati is that their pass rush is awful. They have just one player with multiple sacks this season, as Carl Lawson has 4.5 sacks. The Bengals have just 15 sacks on the season, tied with the Raiders for 31st in the league. The Bengals are 21st against the pass and that is bad news against a Pittsburgh offense that is relying heavily on the pass. The Bengals defense also hasn’t forced turnovers, as they are 30th in the league in takeaways. It looks like a bad matchup for the Bengals on Monday night.
Game Trends
The Steelers are 16-3-2 ATS in their last 21 meetings in Cincinnati. The Steelers are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 vs. the AFC North. The Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games. The Bengals are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games in December. The Under is 5-0-1 in the Steelers last 6 games as a favorite. The Under is 4-0 in the Steelers last 4 Monday games. The Under is 25-5 in the Steelers last 30 games as a road favorite. The Under is 4-0-1 in the Bengals last 5 games overall. The Under is 4-1 in the Bengals last 5 Monday games. The Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Cincinnati.
Free ATS Pick
This is a tough one for me on Monday night, as I think the Steelers are overrated and banged up, but the Bengals are bad. I see no other option than to lay the points with the Steelers. I also can’t ignore the amazing stat listed above that had the Steelers going under in 25 of their last 30 games as a road favorite. I will play the game under the total.
NFL Pick: Steelers 27, Bengals 13
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