Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 10/12/18 Predictions & Odds

Steelers vs. Bengals Total Prediction

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals square off at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday in a pivotal AFC North matchup. With the number sitting in the low 50s, is the betting total set too high for this contest?

Game Snapshot

261 Pittsburgh Steelers at 262 Cincinnati Bengals

1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, October 14

Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

Public Betting Trends

According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Bengals are 2-point favorites to beat the Steelers. The total, meanwhile, sits at 52.5 points. As of this writing, 55% of the public betting tickets are on the Steelers to cover the point spread.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger said James Conner "should not go on the shelf by any means" if/when Le'Veon Bell ends his holdout. "I think Le’Veon’s one of the best in the business, I think we all understand that and can agree on that," Roethlisberger said. "But when Le’Veon comes back, in no way, shape or form should James just say, ‘OK, it’s all yours. I’m gonna sit back and when you need me, use me.’ And I will push for James to get as much run as we can because we’ve seen some great things from him in all phases of football. He’s picking up blitzes, he’s catching the ball, he’s running hard and making plays and playing with a passion, so we need to keep using that." If Ben wants it, he usually gets it. Conner seems certain to retain a prominent role when Bell returns, which is expected to be for Week 8.

Cincinnati Bengals

John Ross (groin) remained "limited" on Thursday. Ross is tentatively on track to return after missing Week 5, but the sophomore has not developed into a fantasy option this season.

NFL Betting Trends

Pittsburgh

The over is 6-1 in the Steelers’ last seven games overall.

Cincinnati

The over is 5-1 in the Bengals’ last six games overall.

Prediction

These two teams have proven that they can light up the scoreboard in recent weeks, with the Steelers dropping over 40 on the Falcons just last Sunday. That said, these are rivals that know each other well, hate each other, and I see more of a defensive struggle on Sunday than a pure shootout. Don’t forget that the Steelers hadn’t scored a second half point in the two games prior to playing the Falcons, who own the most banged-up defense in the league right now. This total has been set too high, creating value for under bettors.

NFL Week 6 Prediction: Steelers/Bengals under 52.5