The AFC North is set to RUMBLE this week. The Baltimore Ravens are traveling to Cleveland to face the Browns. And the Cincinnati Bengals are lined up for a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Considering how tight the standings are in that division, this week’s games could bring a major shake-up.

Right now, the Steelers are clinging to first place. But their record is only 5-4. The Ravens are in second at 4-5, followed closely by the Bengals at 3-6. The Browns aren’t technically out of it at 2-7, but they truly cannot afford to lose any more games - especially divisional ones. These games are often especially tough to handicap, but let’s dig into the injuries, news, and narratives to see if there’s a bet out there. 

Even if you just want to see the Bengals vs. Steelers odds and have Bengals vs. Steelers picks of your own, stick around so that you can also learn how to snag a $1,500 BetMGM Sportsbook sign-up bonus!

Bengals vs. Steelers Predictions For Sunday 1:00 PM ET, NFL Week 11

There was a long period where the Pittsburgh Steelers dominated this rivalry. From 2014 to 2020, the Steelers actually went 15-1. But as the Ben Roethlisberger era wound down and the Joe Burrow era began, the Bengals have had the slight upper hand, 6-4. The Bengals have won the last two matchups, including earlier this year in October 33-31.

Joe Flacco has done his best to keep this Bengals team afloat without Joe Burrow. They have been in every game but have lost some nailbiters while losing six of their last seven (their one win over that stretch coming against the Steelers). The Steelers over their last seven are 4-3 with some wins over tough teams like the Patriots and Colts.    

 

 

 

Cincinnati Bengals: Holding Out Hope For Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow has sparked some hope for Bengal Nation with his suggestion that he could play against the Ravens on Thanksgiving. But Adam Schefter recently cast doubt on whether that is possible. Either way, it will be the pass-happy Joe Flacco at the helm for the next couple of games - and definitely for this game as Burrow has already been ruled out. Behind this offensive line, he has been getting the ball out exceptionally quickly, as only Tua Tagovailoa (2.37 seconds) has a shorter time to throw than Flacco (2.47) among starting QBs per Pro Football Focus.

On defense, it’s no secret that the Bengals have been bad. Terrible in fact. No matter where you look, they are consistently ranked as one of the worst units, whether it be somewhere like FTN Fantasy (last) or Pro Football Focus (2nd to last behind only the Dallas Cowboys). They’ll be without Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart this week, so I don’t expect things to be much different here. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: Arthur Smith’s Unique Offense

Once upon a time, teams used very similar personnel. You often had your five linemen, quarterback, running back, tight end, and three wide receivers. Some teams used a fullback, some didn’t. In the modern NFL, however, there’s a lot more variation. And Arthur Smith is at the forefront of that with his tight end usage. The Steelers have multiple tight ends on the field for more than half their snaps, per Sumer Sports, and they lead the league with 81 plays with three tight ends on the field. The Bengals are also arguably one of the worst teams vs. tight ends, as it so happens. 

The Steelers' defense has been middle of the pack, but that production has not been evenly distributed. They have been far worse against the pass than they have against the run. In fact, the Steelers are currently allowing 269.4 pass yards per game through the air, which is the most of any team. The Bengals are third on that list at 260.1. 

 

 

 

Bengals vs. Steelers Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

As promised, the latest Steelers vs. Falcons odds can be found below courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook:

 

 

 

Bengals vs. Steelers: Calvin Austin Over 34.5 Receiving Yards  (-115 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

We really don’t have much interest in trying to bet against the spread one way or another in this division game. Nor do I want to go near the high over/under - one that could easily be hit with these defenses. But there is one recent narrative we are willing to wager on.

The Steelers were rumored to be interested in a wide receiver at the trade deadline. Instead, they opted to stick with what they have - and what they have is Calvin Austin. He’s yet to have a big blow-up game, but his usage has been trending up. This past week, he ran 31 of 35 possible routes, which was second only to 34 of 35 by DK Metcalf. 

Aaron Rodgers admitted this week that the Bengals would probably double DK Metcalf and that someone else would need to step up. Calvin Austin now has 6, 6, and 7 targets over his last three games. This Bengals pass defense has been brutally bad, and this game could shootout, so if there was ever a time for the speedy Austin to step up and show what he can do, this is it. And we’re willing to bet on it. If he can’t get it done this week, it might be time for the Steelers to look elsewhere moving forward. 

 

 

 

Bengals vs. Steelers Injury Report & Latest News

Finally, let’s take a quick look at the projected starting lineups for both teams heading into tonight’s matchup:

CIN Bengals

PIT Steelers

 

 

 

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