Must Win Game For Both Teams’ Playoff Hopes
Bengals vs Steelers Best Prop Bets
The Cincinnati Bengals visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday in a game neither team can afford to lose. The Bengals have gotten themselves back in the NFL playoff picture with three straight wins. The Steelers are on life support after three consecutive losses. The loser of this game is going to have an uphill battle. The Bengals are already 0-4 in division games and 3-6 in the conference, which will hurt if a tie-breaker comes into play. The Bengals are favored by two points and the total on the game is 37. We’ll look at the Bengals vs Steelers best prop bets and have a traditional football wager on the contest.
Bengals vs Steelers 
Day/Time:
Location: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Line: Cincinnati -2
Total: 37
Streaming: NBC
Browning Getting the Job Done
Things looked pretty bleak for the Bengals a few weeks ago. Cincinnati was 5-6, and Joe Burrow was injured. But Jake Browning has gone 3-1 as the starter, including last week’s comeback win over Minnesota. Now Browning can make amends for the one loss in a rematch against the Steelers.
Pittsburgh won 16-10 in Cincinnati four weeks ago. The game wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. The Steelers had a 421-222 yardage advantage. But the Bengals were able to stay within striking distance. Cincinnati just could make the big play when it needed.
The Bengals are averaging 26.2 points since Browning became the starter. The defense has allowed 21.2 points per game in that time. For the NFL season, the Bengals haven’t run the ball very well. Cincinnati gains 3.9 yards per carry. But the passing game has been pretty solid lately.
The defense needs to do a better job against the run that it did in the first NFL game. Pittsburgh rushed for 153 yards. But stopping the run has been a problem for the Bengals all season. Cincinnati allows 4.7 yards per carry. You’re not going to win many football games like that.
Steelers Making Quarterback Change
Perhaps Pittsburgh is getting in the Christmas spirit, but the Steelers are going with Rudolph on Saturday, Mason Rudolph that is, who is making his first start in nearly two seasons. He can’t be any worse than what Pittsburgh has gotten from the quarterback position the past few weeks.
But the key to this game for Pittsburgh is going to be the running game once again. It led to the victory the first time these NFL teams met. The Steelers are hopeful it can do the same thing once again.
The Steelers are just averaging 15.9 points per game for the year. Despite the poor offensive production, the Steelers are 7-7 against the NFL scores and odds this season. Pittsburgh is just 4-10 in totals.
Pittsburgh’s defense has done a pretty good job all season. The Steelers are allowing 20 points per game on the season. Pittsburgh has been fair against the run and the pass. The Steelers don’t excel at either. But they’re not that bad at either.
What to Expect
If the Bengals don’t want today’s NFL results to be the same as they were four weeks ago, Cincinnati has to throw the ball. Browning had just 197 passing yards in the earlier meeting. However, the ground game was utterly non-existent with 25 yards. The Bengals need more production from the offense than that.
Pittsburgh will look to the ground game to get things going once again. The Steelers will likely simplify things for Rudolph and get back to basics. That’s when the Steelers are at their best.
Who to Bet On?
The Bengals are certainly playing better right now, but it’s not easy to take them as a road favorite. Cincinnati is 3-3 in the NFL picks against the spread on the road this season. That was the strength of the Bengals in the two previous years. The Bengals were 16-5 ATS on the road in 2021-22.
The Steelers are 4-4 against the number at home this season. This will be Pittsburgh’s final home game of the season. So it’s a game the Steelers have to win.
The full array of player prop bets haven’t been released yet. But the Bengals vs Steelers best prop bets should include the first half under 18.5 points. The Bengals score 10 of their 21.9 points in the first half, while the Steelers score 7.2 of their 15.9 points in the first two quarters. Defensively, the Bengals allow 9.7 of their 20.7 points in the first half, while the Steelers allow 12.4 points in the first half.
The Bengals vs Steelers best prop bets also suggests taking a look at the longest field goal over 45.5 yards. Both kickers have decent range and the game could see more field goals than normal.
The game is a tough call, but the Bengals are probably the right side in this one in a revenge situation.
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