NFL Monday Night Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Will the Steelers End Their Two-Game Losing Streak Tonight in Cincinnati? The Pathetic Bengals Look Like the Perfect Punching Bag to Solve Most of Pittsburgh's Problems
BREAKING NEWS: Bengals announce QB Ryan Finley will start vs. Steelers
- Bengals vs. Steelers Pointspread: Pittsburgh -14
- Bengals vs. Steelers Over-Under: 40.5 points
- Bengals vs. Steelers Moneyline: Pittsburgh -1100 / Cincinnati +700
Why the Steelers Should Cover
Pittsburgh loves the throw the ball. Their running game has all but disappeared the last month, so Ben Roethlisberger has turned to the pass. That's probably bad news for the outmatched Bengals, which field a pass defense that has struggled badly this season.
The Bengals allow opposing quarterbacks a passer rating of 95.6, ranking 21st in the league. Last week, they allowed Dallas' Andy Dalton (Andy Dalton!) to pass for two touchdowns and earn a 122.6 passer rating in the Cowboys' easy win.
One concern: Steelers receivers have been dropping lots of passes lately. This deficiency must be fixed if Pittsburgh – which relies on the pass – is going to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Moreover, the Steelers have dominated the series against Cincinnati recently. They've won 11 straight games against the Bengals – outscoring Cincinnati 274-163, and haven't lost to Cincinnati since November 2015. Last month, Pittsburgh crushed Cincinnati 36-10 at Heinz Field, easily covering the spread.
Why the Bengals Should Cover
Don't laugh.
Cincinnati faces a Steelers offense that has struggled running the ball the last two months. During Pittsburgh's last seven games, Pittsburgh has averaged just 54.3 rushing yards per game and an embarrassing 2.9 yards per carry. Those rank dead last in the NFL over that time span. Steelers' fans should be worried about the one-dimension offense as the playoffs are near.
The Bengals are a surprising 4-2 against the pointspread at home, despite their struggles this season. They are also 3-2 at home as an underdog. However, the late breaking news about the Bengals turning back to Finley at QB somewhat nullifies the previous success this team has enjoyed at home against the spread.
The Pick: UNDER 40.5
The Steelers have gone UNDER in four straight games. In their last three games, they've failed to reach the 20-point mark on offense.
The UNDER has also hit in four straight Bengals' games. The cats' offense is horrid, averaging an NFL's worst 12 points-per-game in each of the last five weeks.
So, where are points coming from? Answer – Probably the Steelers, who will win a 27-10 sleeper that falls under the number.
