Steelers vs. Bengals Point Spread: NFL Week 13 Odds, Prediction
The Steelers are coming off a 24-19 loss in Cleveland last weekend on Thursday Night Football, ending a five-game win streak, but maintain a slim half-game lead over second-place Baltimore in the divisional standings. The Bengals enjoyed a bye last week after 34-27 to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11 and have now surrendered an average of 32.5 points per game while losing three of their past four.
The Bengals have vaulted to 3-point favourites on the NFL Week 13 odds. The Steelers are pegged as +135 underdogs on the NFL moneyline and the total is listed at 48.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Sunday afternoon’s matchup at Paycor Stadium is the first of two clashes between these divisional rivals over the final six weeks of the regular season. The Steelers swept last year’s season series with a pair of stout defensive performances including a 16-10 victory in Cincinnati and have gone 20-4 straight up in 24 visits to Cincinnati since the start of the 2002 season including an impressive 8-2 SU run as betting underdogs.
The Steelers have also emerged as a reliable bet this season, winning and covering five straight prior to last weekend’s messy loss in the snow and have won outright in four games as betting underdogs. The Bengals have work to do to regain some respectability after posting consecutive wins just once during a 4-7 start that has featured just one outright and against the spread victory in five home contests.
Pittsburgh Steelers
It is tough to fault the Steelers for their loss in Cleveland amid a heavy snowfall that worked in the Browns’ favour. Indeed, the Steelers enjoyed plenty of good fortune in their preceding 5-0 run, which was capped by victories over Washington and Baltimore by a combined margin of just three points. A stout defence played a key role in those victories, with the Steelers surrendering just six total points in fourth-quarter action. However, this team would benefit from a boost in offensive production. Kicker Chris Boswell has accounted for 25 of the team’s past 37 points scored, with eight field goals and one extra point.
Slow starts have also emerged as a massive concern, with the Steelers recording just one total touchdown and an average of just 2.8 points in the first quarter over their past nine games. George Pickens has been the Steelers’ biggest producer, with 14 scoring catches this season. However, he has not scored in the past two games and has failed to making a TD catch while compiling just 61 total receiving yards in two previous trips to Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Bengals
A visit from the offensively challenged Steelers may be just what the Bengals need to address their recent defensive woes. The Cincinnati defence has surrendered an average of 412 total yards and 34.5 points during the team’s current 0-2 slide and now ranks 28th in the NFL with 26.9 points per game allowed this season. However, the Bengals offence has managed to keep pace, almost.
With Joe Burrow tossing for 12 total touchdowns, the Bengals have racked up 34 points per game over their past three outings. However, with Burrow still favouring his surgically repaired right wrist and bitterly cold weather expected at game time, concerns about his effectiveness have emerged. That could lead to a bigger assignment for rusher Chase Brown, who leads the squad with 607 rushing yards and five scoring runs and has piled up an average of over 131 total yards over the past three games.
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