Monday Night Football: Steelers vs. Bengals Odds & Picks
The Steelers are massive favorites against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Will the patchwork Bengals survive the Steel Curtain? Can Pittsburgh cover a huge number? Here is a sports betting breakdown plus Monday Night Football picks for Steelers at Bengals.
Monday Night Football Odds
Opening up at -11.5 (and serving as a reminder to check lines early), the spread moved all the way to its current position across online betting sites of -14.5. The quarterback news for the Bengals certainly had something to do with the shift, but bettors were always going to be enticed by anything less than a pair of touchdowns. The total remains firm at around 40.5 points and has not budged much throughout the week. Can either side muster up enough offense to combine for more than the implied total?
Primetime Steel Crew
Jeez, I feel like the Steelers have made plenty of our recent primetime articles. Tonight’s contest marks the fourth time in a row the Steelers would not have played in the normal Sunday afternoon window. Obviously, COVID-19 issues muddled the schedule and perhaps, the Steelers momentum. Two losses in a row to the Bills and the Washington Football Team, place the NFC North in question if the Steelers don’t manage to defeat the injury-riddled Bengals on Monday Night. The Browns were able to defeat the Giants on Sunday Night Football and land a wonderful matchup against the worst organization in the NFL — The New York Jets — in Week 16. The Browns and Steelers meet to close the season. Assuming Pittsburgh doesn’t want that game to matter, a win versus Cincinnati is vital.
The Steelers continue to fling the football all over the field because of growing difficulty with running the football. James Conner is questionable for the contest but even with the starting back the Steelers only boast a 3.7 yard per carry average on the season. The Steelers move the ball through the air and take advantage of an opportunistic defense. Despite leading the NFL in drops (9), Diontae Johnson headlines an offense rife with explosive talent.
Allowing only 4.9 yards per play, the Steelers sit second in the NFL in forced turnovers with 25 (Miami has 26). Based on the current status of the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh is likely to retake the lead from Miami by the end of tonight’s contest. Joe Haden will make his return from the concussion protocol, further bolstering an already immovable defense.
Cincinnati Bungling
The headlines — and probably the point spread — for this game would have been quite different if the Bengals welcomed the Steelers with Joe Burrow at quarterback. The rookie sensation seemed poised for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in a season characterized by phenomenal rookies (Justin Herbert, Justin Jefferson, etc…). Instead, the Bengals will run out their third option at quarterback: Ryan Finley. Brandon Allen is out with a knee injury. Finley starting at quarterback lowers the already-low DFS floors of his receiving options — Higgins, Boyd, and Green.
The Bengals average 18.8 points per game, a number that nose-dived after the loss of Joe Burrow (10.3 PPG over the last 3 weeks). Squaring off with the Steelers without their best two players — Burrow and Mixon — seems like a recipe for continued ineptitude. Over those same three weeks, the Bengals have only mustered 13.7 first downs per game. This should be ugly.
With such a low implied total, I want to try and make a case for the over to avoid the point spread. That said, with no running game for the Steelers and no glimmer of hope for the Bengals’ offense, this is certainly a tough puzzle to crack.
Steelers vs. Bengals Picks
The under is 5-0-1 in the Steelers’ last six games as a favorite. The under is 4-0-1 in the Bengals’ last five games. 40.5 is such a small quantity of points, though. Sheesh.
With that said, missing the boat on an 11.5-point spread earlier in the week means the point spread is a pass for me. I cannot confidently make a pick on either side, so instead, I will just mention my lean is under 40.5 points.
That said, if I were to bet this game, I would likely look to find an option across online betting sites for single-game teasers and see if I can find a more favorable situation to pair the Steelers’ and the under. That said, be careful with these teasers, as they are often pre-fabricated bets and not the traditional 6-point style.
So, in summary, I am going to LEAN towards the under in this game. Perhaps, I will bet a half-unit on the under for the sake of this article. Kudos to you if you were able to grab Pittsburgh when the lines opened.
NFL Betting Pick: Under 40.5 at BetMGM
Steelers-Bengals Player Props
Eric Ebron OVER 36.5 Receiving yards (-118 DraftKings) – The Bengals allow the fifth-most fantasy points to the tight end position. Allowing 71 catches for 867 yards will yield that type of result. Ebron is positioned as a strong option in single-game DFS contests, tonight. Give me the over at DraftKings._
James Washington – First Touchdown Scorer (+2000 DraftKings) – DraftKings Sportsbook is running a promotion for a risk-free bet up to $20 on a first touchdown scorer for tonight’s game. If your selection does not score the first touchdown but scores at some point in the game, DraftKings will award your back up to $20. Washington recently scored a first touchdown that paid big dividends. With odds at +2000, I don’t mind the risk knowing I might get the bet back if he scores at some point of the game.
Image Credit: Imagn