Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Pick & Prediction 1/4/25

The over/under line is set at 48.5 points for the AFC North matchup between the Bengals and Steelers. ABC is set to televise this one, with the Bengals favored on the road. The Bengals are -125 on the money line, and the Steelers are +105. The game is being played at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, with the Steelers looking to advance their record and the Bengals also looking to advance their record. The point spread is in favor of the Bengals at -1.5.

CINCINNATI BENGALS VS PITTSBURGH STEELERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers +1.5

This game will be played at Acrisure Stadium at 8:00 ET on Saturday, January 4th.

WHY BET THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS:

• We have the Steelers winning this one by a score of 29 to 24
• Not only do we have the Steelers winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +1.5
• Look for this game to go over the line of 48.5 points

Will The Bengals Pick Up A Win On The Road?

Heading into week 18, the Bengals have won four straight games, bringing their record to 8-8. After a week 13 loss to the Steelers, Cincinnati bounced back with wins over the Cowboys, Titans, Browns, and Broncos. Their most recent victory was a 30-24 win over Denver in week 17, where they covered the 3-point spread. The combined points in this game (54) went over the 50.5-point line.

Our power rankings have the Bengals 13th heading into week 18, and they have a 10.1% chance of making the playoffs. Against the spread, they are 10-6, with an average scoring margin of +2.2 points per game. Their O/U record is 11-5, with their games averaging 54.4 points this season.

Joe Burrow has been on fire, throwing for 412 yards (39/49) and 3 touchdowns in week 17 against the Broncos. He had a passer rating of 122, bouncing back from a 4-sack game in week 16, though he was sacked 7 times in this last outing. Tee Higgins had a big game, with 11 catches for 131 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Chase Brown rushed for 67 yards on 20 carries.

Heading into week 18, the Bengals are 6th in the NFL, scoring 28.3 points per game. They rank 8th in total yards, with 368.8 per game, and lead the league in passing yards, averaging 274.6 per game. They are 4th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversions, with a 47.3% success rate.

In their 30-24 overtime win over the Broncos, the Bengals’ defense gave up 206 passing yards and 123 rushing yards on 27 attempts. They allowed three passing touchdowns but did manage to force one interception. The Bengals’ defense struggled to defend the run, allowing 4.6 yards per attempt, but they held Denver to a 33.3% conversion rate on third down.

Cincinnati’s defense recorded two sacks and allowed the Broncos to complete 77.4% of their passes. Despite their struggles against the run, the Bengals were able to come out on top in a close overtime victory.

Will The Steelers Win At Home Over The Bengals?

Despite their three-game losing streak, the Steelers have a 100% chance of making the playoffs, according to our projections. Pittsburgh is 10-6, putting them 5th in our AFC power rankings and 14th in the league. They are 2nd in the AFC North, with a 3-2 division record. The Steelers are 5-2 at home and 5-4 on the road.

Against the spread, Pittsburgh is 10-6, but they have failed to cover in their last three games. Their average scoring margin this season is +2.2 points. The Steelers have an O/U record of 8-8, with their games averaging 43.2 points compared to a 41.6-point line.

Russell Wilson has seen his passer rating drop in each of his last three games, going from 94 in week 15 to 92 in week 16, and finishing with a 65 in week 17 against the Chiefs. In that game, he threw for 205 yards on 23 of 37 passing, with no touchdowns and one interception, while taking 5 sacks. Pat Freiermuth led the team with 60 receiving yards on 7 catches, and Najee Harris had 74 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Looking at the Steelers’ offensive rankings, they are 18th in our power rankings and are 14th in the NFL in points per game, averaging 22.7. They rank 16th in yards per game (327.3) and 25th in passing yards per game (196.6), despite being 28th in passing attempts. On the ground, they rank 10th in rushing yards per game, with 130.8, on 31.9 attempts per game, which is the 3rd most in the league.

In their 29-10 loss to the Chiefs, the Steelers’ defense gave up 320 passing yards on 29 completions. Despite not allowing much on the ground (69 yards on 20 attempts), they struggled to defend the pass, giving up 8.4 yards per attempt and three passing touchdowns. The Steelers failed to record a sack and lost the QB hit and tackles for loss differentials to Kansas City.

Offensively, the Steelers allowed the Chiefs to convert on 70% of their third downs, and Kansas City finished with 389 total yards. The Steelers’ defense will look to bounce back and generate more pressure in their next game.