It’s certain that at least two AFC North teams will be in the playoffs this year. Those are the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who both clinched on Sunday. However, there’s the not-so-small matter of the division championship still very much on the line. All will be settled on Sunday night as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cincinnati Bengals for the AFC North crown.
This game is one of three division-deciding games on tap in this crazy final week of the NFL regular season. Check out our previews of the Lions vs. Packers and Panthers vs. Falcons, and read on below for our preview of this AFC North decider.
[sc:Football ]Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
When: Sunday, December 28, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers – see all NFL lines
Betting on the Cincinnati Bengals
When the Cincinnati Bengals are firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball, they look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders. They began the season that way, winning their first three games in impressive fashion. And now, they’re on course to finish the season as strong as they started with back-to-back impressive wins over the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.
[sc:NFL240banner ]First and foremost, the offense looks outstanding. They’ve scored 30 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time this season. The key to it all has been the running game, which has rushed for over 200 yards in the two wins.
Rookie Jeremy Hill has been an absolute monster, rushing for 295 total yards on just 47 carries (6.3 yards per carry) in the two games with three touchdowns. Second-year back Gio Bernard has also done his part with 80 or more yards from scrimmage.
What’s scary is that the offense has been dominating with their best offensive player, receiver AJ Green, playing little to no part. Green was injured early in the Broncos game and was held without a catch for only the second time in his career.
Even though he’ll be a little banged up, Green will be eager to get reacquainted with a Steeler secondary which allowed him to set a new career-high with 224 receiving yards back in Week 14.
But as good as the Bengals’ offense has been, the defense has been even better. After shutting out Johnny Manziel in his first ever Browns start, they forced a season-high four interceptions from Peyton Manning. The Bengals now have six picks in the last two games.
The total has gone under in six of the Bengals’ seven road games this season.
Create a betting account now and get wagering on this huge final week of the NFL regular season.
Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have mostly relied on their offense to win them games this season, whether it’s the passing game with Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown or the running game with Le’Veon Bell. Sometimes, it’s been both, as in their 42-21 win over the Bengals just three weeks ago. Big Ben threw for 350 yards – 117 going to Brown – with three touchdowns while Bell had 185 with two scores on the ground.
But their 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday showed that they can win when their offense isn’t operating at full capacity. They were outgained 327 to 282 with the Chiefs passing for 311 yards. However, the Steeler defense held the Chiefs without a touchdown on all four of their trips to the red zone. The run defense in particular kept the vaunted Chiefs ground game to a season-low 39 yards.
Another strong showing from the Steeler front against a rampant Bengals rushing attack will give them a much higher chance of coming away with another win against their division rivals. They’d rather see the game fall in the hands of the erratic Andy Dalton, who has thrown 15 touchdowns against 14 interceptions this season.
The Steelers will like their own chances to run the ball down the throat of a Bengals defense ranked a lowly 30th against the run via DVOA through Week 15. Bell has slowed since that 185-yard explosion in Cincinnati with 110 total rushing yards against Atlanta and Kansas City, but Bell has still found the end zone consistently. He’s scored in five straight games with seven touchdowns.
The Steelers are 7-3 (both straight up and against the spread) against the Bengals in their last 10 meetings.
Writer’s Prediction
The Steelers take the division with a solid win and cover at home.
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