Two AFC North rivals coming off Week 1 losses collide in Cincinnati on Sunday, when the disappointing Steelers visit the Bengals.
Cincinnati opened as 6.5-point favorites over Pittsburgh. The Steelers have won five of the last six meetings straight-up and against the spread, but struggled mightily in an Sportsbook loss to the Tennessee Titans at home.
The Bengals dropped their opener at Chicago, but were more impressive than the Steelers, who also lost starting center Mike Pouncey for the season with a knee injury.
That could lead to problems against a Cincinnati pass rush considered among the league’s best.
Cincy has struggled bigtime at home vs Pitt, falling to a 1-10-1 ATS in 12 games. They have also struggled on Monday Night Football (1-4 ATS past 5 MNF games).
The Steelers have trended UNDER the total (7-3 past 10 MNF games) while they have struggled as a road team (3-9 ATS past 12 road games).
View Pittsburgh vs Cincinnati Odds and Stats.
Monday Night Football Betting Line:
Oddsmakers at Sportsbook had the Bengals as 6.5-point underdogs in the game as of Monday, while the betting total was sitting at 40.5, according to Sportsbook. Check out dozens of MNF props at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Bengals - Steelers odds would favor the Bengals if the lines were set according to power ranks. Cincinnati is rated No. 22 in our latest OddsShark poll, while the Steelers sit at No. 28. Math models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 14-10 win for the Bengals.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Cincinnati's No. 20-ranked offense (21 PPG) against a Steelers defense that ranks No. 6 at 16 PPG. The Bengals passing attack has averaged 277 yards per game, more than the Steelers give up through the air (117 YPG on average).
Pittsburgh lost its last outing, a 16-9 result against the Titans on September 8. The Steelers failed to cover in that game as a 6-point favorite, while the 25 combined points took the game UNDER the total. In their last game, the Steelers were Week 1 losers coming out on the wrong end of 16-9 score against Tennessee.
Cincinnati was a 24-21 loser in its last match on the road against the Bears. They earned a push of the 3-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 45 sent OVER bettors to the payout window. In their last gridiron battle, A.J. Green did much of the damage, producing 162 receiving yards but Cincinnati managed to defeat the Bengals 24-21 at Soldier Field.
Pittsburgh Steelers Trends:
When playing in September are 6-4
When playing on turf are 7-3
After being outgained are 7-3
When playing within the division are 7-3
Cincinnati Bengals Trends:
When playing in September are 6-4
When playing on turf are 4-6
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing within the division are 4-6
A few Steelers at Bengals trends to consider:
Pittsburgh is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Cincinnati's last 10 games
Next up:
Pittsburgh home to Chicago, Sunday, September 22
Cincinnati home to Green Bay, Sunday, September 22
