Bengals vs Steelers Betting Odds and Pick - January 9, 2016

AFC North rivals clash once again when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday. Though anything can happen in an interdivisional contest, the Steelers have been fantastic in their trips to Cincinnati, as Pittsburgh is 13-2 SU in their last 15 games and 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games at Paul Brown Stadium.

Shark Bites

The Bengals are 0-6 SU and ATS in their last six Wild Card games.
The OVER is 7-1 in the Steelers’ last eight Wild Card games.
The Steelers are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games in January.

The Steelers offense has been heaving the ball this season with the passing game accounting for 73.7 percent of the team’s total offense. As dependent as the offense has been on Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, the team is more of a move the chains team than a big play threat. The Steelers rank in the bottom half in the league in plays of 20+ and 40+ yards.

The defense of the Steelers has been employing a bend-not-break strategy this season as they are 21st in yards allowed, but ninth in points allowed. Notably the Steelers secondary has been leaking like a sieve this season, as they are the third-worst team in the NFL (and the worst among playoff teams) at stopping the pass.

The offense of the Bengals rests on the injured wrist of A.J. McCarron for another week, as Andy Dalton is not expected to make a return for the team before a potential Divisional round playoff match. The Steelers were the team that injured Dalton in Week 14, thrusting McCarron into the starting spot. Since taking over under center, McCarron has led the Bengals to a 2-2 record (including that Steelers game), while throwing six touchdowns and two interceptions.

Cincy’s defense has allowed the second-fewest points per game this season and have held their opponents to under the 20 point plateau in seven of their last eight contests. The Bengals secondary has feasted on Ben Roethlisberger this season as they have intercepted the quarterback four times while notching five sacks in two games.

These rivals split their season series with an average scoring margin of +9.5 points for the Sportsbook. The Steelers opened as 2.5 point favorites despite the Bengals going 6-2 SU at home this season. The total for the game opened at 47 with the two matchups between the teams this season seeing combined scores of 26 and 53 points respectively.

Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick

The point spread was settled in at -1 for the host Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the week, according to Sportsbook. The OVER/UNDER betting line was hovering around 45.5, with odds movement expected during the week at Sportsbook. As of Friday, the Steelers were -3 point favorites, and the total remained at 45.5.

Handicapping models based on recent betting stats and prediction formulas pick a 30-17 win for the Bengals. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NFL matchups here.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Cincinnati Bengals are 12-4 so far on the season, and 12-3-1 ATS vs the point spread. The Pittsburgh Steelers, meanwhile, are 10-6 and 8-5-3 ATS. Those over under betting have seen Cincinnati go 7-8-1 and the Pittsburgh Steelers go 6-10 on the totals. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Cincinnati vs Pittsburgh injuries news.

According to the Power Rankings here at Odds Shark it's the No. 6-rated Cincinnati Bengals and the No. 4-rated Pittsburgh Steelers in this matchup.

Statistical Matchup

The game also pits Cincinnati's No. 7-ranked offense, averaging 26.19 PPG, against a Steelers defense that ranks No. 11 this week at 19.94 PPG. The Bengals aerial game is averaging 245.25 yards per game, less than the Steelers secondary allows through the air, 271.88 YPG per game.

In comparing defenses, the Pittsburgh Steelers own the league's No. 5-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 89 yards per game when on the road. Cincinnati, on the other hand, rates No. 10 this week in generating rushing yards at home.