The more things change in the NFL, the more they stay the same. With the conclusion of the season happening this weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain a very good football team and the Cleveland Browns, well, the Browns are still straight-up bad.
Sportsbook opened the Browns as 13.5-point road underdogs with a total of 39.5. The line saw a big shift to seven-points, however, as the Steelers announced quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Le'Veon Bell would be inactive for the game.
- The Browns are 0-16 SU and 1-14-1 ATS in their last 16 games vs divisional opponents.
- The Browns are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games.
- The total has gone UNDER in five of the Steelers’ last six games in Week 17.
This is Cleveland’s last chance to earn a win in 2017, or the franchise will join the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams to go winless in the 16-game regular-season era of the NFL. The Browns are coming off a 20-3 loss to the Chicago Bears in a game that was perceived as Cleveland’s best chance to get into the win column. As sad as it is to say, this is as close to a playoff game as the Browns are going to get.
The Steelers clinched a first-round bye thanks to a 34-6 demolition of the Houston Texans in Week 16 and can clinch home-field advantage with a win over the lowly Browns and if the archrival New England Patriots lose to the New York Jets, which is an unlikely scenario. That means Pittsburgh will most likely garner the No. 2 seed in the AFC heading into the postseason.
As of December 26, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters he was undecided on resting his starters. It’s worth noting the Steelers beat the Browns in Pittsburgh last season in Week 17 while resting many of their starters, including starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Cleveland is a brutal 0-13 SU in its last 13 trips to Heinz Feld, and the Browns are 3-25 SU in their previous 28 vs Pittsburgh overall. Totals bettors can find an edge in this game, as the UNDER has paid out in five of the last six meetings between the AFC North rivals.
Prediction-scoring formulas run on this game picked a potential 36-9 result in favor of the Steelers. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NFL matchups here.
Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Cleveland Browns will look to cover ATS vs their hosts on Sunday, as they are 3-12 versus the spread this season, while the Pittsburgh Steelers are 7-8 ATS. Cleveland is 6-9 against the OVER/UNDER total, while Pittsburgh is 5-10 versus the number. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Pittsburgh vs Cleveland injuries news.
It's a betting matchup between the No. 7-rated Steelers and the No. 32-ranked Browns, according to the NFL Power Rankings here at OddsShark.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up the Pittsburgh Steelers' No. 7-ranked offense (25.2 PPG) against a Cleveland Browns defense that ranks No. 30 at 25.47 PPG. The Steelers passing attack has averaged 277.07 yards per game, more than the Browns give up through the air (230.67 YPG on average).
Defensively, the Browns feature the league's No. 16-rated road run defense, allowing 114 yards per game. The Steelers, meanwhile, rank No. 21 in rushing offense at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Browns suffered a Week 16 loss against Chicago in their last game, falling 20-3 at Soldier Field.
Houston didn't make much of a game of it last time out, losing to the Steelers as Pittsburgh blasted them 34-6 in Week 16 action.
- Cleveland is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
- Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
- Cleveland is 1-9-1 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
- Pittsburgh is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- Pittsburgh is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Pittsburgh's last 15 games
