After a 35-32 defeat to New Orleans on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers failed to pull close toward the first-place Cincinnati Bengals in the crowded AFC North. Meanwhile, the Bengals survived a sloppy game against the 2-10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take a one and a half lead in the division. Can the Steelers chip away at Cincinnati’s lead? Or will the Bengals take one more step toward the AFC North title?
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[sc:Football ]Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals Preview
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati
When: Sunday, December 7, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Pittsburgh Steelers (+3.5) at Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5); total: 47.0 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 435 yards and two touchdowns, both to wide receiver Antonio Brown, but also had two interceptions in the loss to New Orleans Sunday. Running back Le’Veon Bell had a big day catching eight passes for a career-high 159 yards and added 95 yards rushing and a score.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Steelers may be able to rebound against Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium, where they’re 8-2 ATS since 2005. However, the Steelers will need Roethlisberger to limit his turnovers against the Bengals, who have 12 interceptions this season while allowing only 11 touchdowns. The Pittsburgh quarterback has thrown five interceptions in his last three games.
Pittsburgh may have difficulty testing the Bengals’ pass defense, but they should find more success on the ground, as the Benals have allowed an average of 125.1 rushing yards per game as well as the second-most rushing touchdowns (13) in the league. Pittsburgh’s lead back, Bell, should be up to the task of navigating past the Bengals’ front seven after rushing for 5.5 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns in his last two games.
And while Roethlisberger should be wary of his passes getting picked off, the Steelers may also take some timely interceptions on the other side of the ball. Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton has thrown 10 interceptions in his last six games. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh have a couple of cornerbacks in Brice McCain (one interception) and William Gay (two interceptions) capable of matching up with Dalton’s favorite receivers.
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Betting on the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati quarterback Dalton fought off flu-like symptoms to score on a five-yard run and throw for another score to wide receiver A.J. Green as the Bengals slipped past Tampa Bay 14-13 Sunday.
The Cincinnati quarterback wasn’t perfect as he also threw three interceptions. The Bengals can’t afford to hand the ball over to the Steelers as they own a potent offense (average of 417.3 total yards, third in the league) capable of lighting up the scoreboard with an average of 26.7 points per game.
If Dalton can limit the interceptions, he may be able to exploit a vulnerable Pittsburgh pass defense, which has conceded the fourth-most passing touchdowns in the league (24). Dalton has a couple of reliable playmakers in wide receivers Green and Mohamed Sanu capable of capitalizing on the Steelers’ knack for allowing touchdowns. The two wide receivers each have a team-high five touchdown receptions.
On the ground, the Bengals’ running back duo of Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard take on a Pittsburgh rushing defense, which looked vulnerable after allowing 143 yards against New Orleans on Sunday. The two have shared the backfield since Bernard’s return, but Hill appears to be the more solid option to carry the brunt of the running attack. The rookie has averaged 5.2 yards per carry while scoring three touchdowns in the five games he’s started.
While the Bengals have only sacked opposing quarterbacks 15 times this season, they may find the gaps in a beatable Steelers offensive line which has given up 11 sacks in the past four games. Leading the charge would be Bengals sacks leader defensive end Carlos Dunlap, who has six sacks to his credit.
The total has gone under in Cincinnati’s last four games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Steelers’ (+3.5) offense proves too much for the Bengals to handle.
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