The early afternoon Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers matchup carries a lot of importance for the NFL playoff picture. The Steelers are looking to break back into the top seven, while the Bengals want to hold onto the spot they earned last week.
In our Bengals vs. Steelers predictions, our NFL betting experts examine the odds to find their favorite lines for this Week 16 clash.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Lines
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- Spread
Bengals -3 - Moneyline
Bengals -150, Steelers +130 - Total
37.5
Bengals vs. Steelers Predictions and Expert Picks
Ryan Gosling: The Steelers are having a tumultuous season, to say the least. They have lost their starting quarterback to injury, are sitting last in the AFC North after three straight losses, and are now dealing with talks of a potential coaching change at the end of the season.
This week, Mason Rudolph takes over for Mitchell Trubisky at QB, which I surprisingly feel is an upgrade after the way the former first-round pick played this past week.
Under HC Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are 26-10 ATS the week after allowing 30 or more points. A lot can be said about Tomlin and his coaching this season, but one cannot argue that he is a player’s coach and a motivator.
These guys will get up for him, and I have a feeling they put out their best effort in what could be Tomlin’s last home game of his long career. Tomlin has finished with a record of .500 or better in 16 straight seasons, and this game’s result may very well decide if that streak continues.
Pick: Steelers +3
Ben Rolfe: The Bengals made tough work of the Minnesota Vikings last week, and we know the Steelers’ defense can give opposing teams problems. But without most of their first-choice or backup safeties, that could change.
I believe the Bengals eventually win out because backup QB Jake Browning has shown more in his short career than Pittsburgh QB Mason Rudolph has at any point in his. I don’t love laying the points with Browning, so I took the Bengals’ ML at -130 earlier this week.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
If -150 is beyond the point you want to do that, then Cincinnati -3 would be my pick. But I would hold on in the hope it can get back to -2.5.
The other option would be to take the total from 38.5 to 44.5 and include it in a six-point teaser with another game this weekend.
Pick: Bengals ML or Bengals ATS up to a maximum of -3
David Bearman: This line is a bit confusing to me. Yes, the Steelers won the first matchup two weeks ago, 16-10. But that was also the last win Pittsburgh has had — losing the last three.
They’re not playing good football right now, while the Bengals, even with Browning, have won three straight to get back into the playoff picture. I see no reason why the Steelers will all of a sudden figure it out. They weren’t playing good football even when they were winning.
Pick: Bengals -2.5
Ben Rolfe: I am very much in on Joe Mixon this week. He’s on a streak of scoring four touchdowns in the last three games and eight in the last eight. The Bengals lean heavily on their star RB around the goal line, and that should be no different this week.
The Steelers have been fairly solid when it comes to stopping backs running into the end zone in the past two weeks, but they’ve given up two receiving touchdowns to the position in that stretch.
In total, Pittsburgh’s allowed four touchdowns to running backs in the last four weeks, and I expect Mixon to make it five in five.
Mixon to score two or more touchdowns at +550 is also tempting if you want to go a little bigger this weekend.
Pick: Joe Mixon anytime touchdown (-102 at ESPN BET)
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