NFL 2021 Season: Steelers vs Bengals Betting Analysis & Prediction

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Two teams in the thick of the AFC playoff race will square off on Sunday, as the Cincinnati Bengals will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a key AFC North matchup. If the playoffs were to start tomorrow, the Bengals would be in with their 6-4 record, while the Steelers would be on the outside looking in with a 5-4-1 mark. Not only is this game very meaningful for the playoff standings, it’s also big in regards to the AFC North. The Bengals are currently in second place, just one game behind the Baltimore Ravens, while the Steelers are just one-half game behind the Bengals. This is a very big game for both teams involved, as a loss at this point in the season to a division rival could be costly. With all that being said, let’s take a look at both teams and how they arrive to this Steelers vs Bengals matchup so you can bet against their NFL odds.

NFL Betting Preview for Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati

Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Analysis

Last Sunday saw the return of Ben Roethlisberger from a week off due to COVID. Roethlisberger played well and put up some huge numbers in the Steelers’ 41-38 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. With Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, and Pat Freiermuth helping with the passing attack, and star rookie running back Najee Harris manning the backfield, the Steelers have plenty of offensive weapons.

Defensively, the Steelers have had a lot of injury issues. One of the league’s top pass rushers, TJ Watt, has missed numerous games due to injury. Other key defensive personnel have also missed time with injuries as well. When healthy, the Steelers have a great pass rush. Their run defense has been an issue this season, so look for a healthy dose of Joe Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincinnati Bengals Betting Analysis

The Bengals have had some ups and downs recently. Just a few weeks ago they were the top seed in the AFC Playoff standings, and now they’re in the fifth spot due to tie breaking rules. A loss could knock them out of the playoff standings at this point in the season.

The Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase combination has been lethal this season. Chase is having a tremendous season, and he could be the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Joe Mixon has missed some time due to injury, but when he has been playing, he has been very good.

Trey Hendrickson leads the Cincinnati pass rush with 9.5 sacks. The Bengals made a lot of moves in the offseason to improve their defense, and it has been better this season. Cincinnati is giving up just over 21 points per game. They will have their hands full with a very good Pittsburgh offense.

Prediction

The Bengals come into this one as 3.5-point favorites. Pittsburgh is 4-1 against the spread the last five times they’ve been on the road, while the Bengals are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games at Paul Brown Stadium.

Even though Big Ben has a lot of weapons and had a good game last week, we just don’t have a lot of faith in him. Cincinnati has been inconsistent, but we think that they separate themselves from Pittsburgh in the standings on Sunday and they win by a touchdown.

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