Bengals with the edge vs. Steelers?
CINCINNATI, OH (The Spread) – The Cincinnati Bengals are finding a way to stay atop the AFC North. Will they increase their lead against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday?
Cincinnati is 8-3-1 this season and holding a 1.5 game lead on Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland in the AFC North. The Bengals haven’t been consistent, looking like world beaters in a 27-10 win at New Orleans, then struggling to escape Tampa Bay with a 14-13 win. It shows in the odds as well, as Cincy is 6-5-1 against the spread.
Speaking of inconsistent, the Steelers aren’t much better. The team’s longest win streak is three, which is its only streak on consecutive wins this season. One good sign for Pittsburgh is its coming off a 35-32 loss to the Saints last week, and the team hasn’t lost back-to-back games this season. Pittsburgh is just 5-7 against the spread this year.
Oddsmakers aren’t trusting the Steelers on the road for Sunday’s 1PM ET kickoff on CBS, as oddsmakers from Bovada.lv have made Cincinnati a 3-point home favorite against Pittsburgh (View Matchup). The over/under total for the game has been set at 47 points.
The key to this game should come in the air, as Pittsburgh ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards at 299.3 yards per game behind the arm of Ben Roethlisberger, who has 3,705 yards and 26 touchdowns. Cincinnati’s pass defense ranks 14th in the NFL, allowing 238.9 yards per game. The Bengals also have 12 interceptions and 71 pass deflections, led by George Iloka, who has three INT’s.
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