After picking up wins in their season openers, both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh had their records’ even out with losses last week. Cincinnati rallied late against Chicago but fell 20-17 on the road, while the Steelers couldn’t hang with Las Vegas in a 26-17 setback. Let’s take a closer look to Steelers at Bengals betting preview.
Sunday’s meeting at Heinz Field is the first AFC North game for both teams, and the winner will be guaranteed at least a tie for the division lead at the end of the day, with all four teams entering with a 1-1 record.
Game Odds
Pittsburgh opened as a 5.5-point favorite, but currently, Sportsbooks have the Steelers at -3 (-115). The Bengals have -105 odds to cover the +3. On the Moneyline, Pittsburgh is -165, while the Bengals are +145. Sportsbooks has the Over/Under set at 43.5 points with -110 odds on either side of the number.
Big Ben Status
The main reason for the big line change in the middle of the week is due to the status of Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben is listed as questionable as he deals with a left pectoral injury. Roethlisberger completed 27 of 40 passes for 295 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers’ loss to Las Vegas. For the season, the veteran is 45-for-72, passing for 483 yards and two touchdowns.
Burrow Bounce Back?
Bengals’ second-year QB Joe Burrow had a rough game on Sunday. Burrow had three straight attempts in the fourth quarter picked up, with one being returned for a touchdown. The three straight interceptions were also preceded by a Tee Higgins lost fumble. The four straight turnovers helped the Bears go from a 7-3 lead to a 20-3 lead, which proved to be too much to overcome.
Burrow finished the game 19 of 30 for 207 yards and two late touchdowns. For the season, the second-year LSU product has completed 39 of 57 passes for 468 yards with four touchdowns and three INTs.
Pittsburgh has allowed 313 yards per game, ranking 28th in the league.
Grounded
Pittsburgh ranks 27th in the overall offense for the season. The main reason is due to a lack of running game. The Steelers rank last in league with 57 rushing yards per game. Rookie Najee Harris has struggled early with just 83 yards on 26 carries. Wide receiver Chase Claypool is second on the team with 22 yards on two attempts.
Cincinnati ranks 11th in the league in rushing yards allowed at 95 per game.
Team Leaders
Joe Mixon leads the Bengals’ ground game with 196 rushing yards and two scores. Mixon’s rushing total is second in the league behind Derrick Henry.
Rookie Ja’Marr Chase leads the WRs with 155 yards and two touchdowns on just seven receptions. His 22.1 yards per reception rank 7th in the NFL.
Higgins has ten receptions for 118 yards and two scores.
Dionte Johnson is Pittsburgh’s leading WR with 14 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown, while Claypool has hauled in six receptions for 115 yards.
Trends
Pittsburgh has dominated the series, winning 11 of the last 12 matchups. Cincinnati is just 3-6-1 covering the spread against the Steelers in the last ten meetings and is just 1-18-1 straight up in its last 20 road games.
Pittsburgh is 3-6 ATS in its last nine overall games and just 1-4 ATS in the last five games at Heinz Field.
The Under has hit in four of the last six meetings between the two AFC North rivals.
Go for the Pittsburgh Steelers on this Bengals at Steelers betting preview.
Free Pick: Pittsburgh -3 (if Roethlisberger starts)
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