Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) vs Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) NFL Betting Preview
Who would have thought that the Cincinnati Bengals would be tied atop the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens after eight games? The Steelers are just a half-game behind, but they can’t be too happy about the fact that there is another team in the mix.
On Sunday, the Steelers get a chance to knock off the upstart Bengals in Cincinnati. The oddsmakers favor the road team here. Let’s take a closer look at this game.
Steelers vs. Bengals
Time/Date: 1:00 PM EST, November 13, 2011
Venue: Paul Brown Stadium
Broadcast: CBS
Rams vs. Browns Gambling Odds from BetOnline
Spread: Steelers -3
Moneyline: Steelers (-175) Bengals (+155)
Over/Under: 41.5
Pittsburgh appeared to have the lead in the AFC North last week, but they blew a late lead against the Ravens in Sunday night’s game. The mighty Steelers defense allowed the Ravens to go 92 yards in just two minutes last weekend. The Pittsburgh secondary allowed the Ravens to get behind them multiple times on the last drive, which was quite surprising. On the positive side, James Harrison was a beast in his first game back last week. James Farrior is expected back this week, and Chris Hoke and Lamarr Woodley are listed as questionable. The Steelers defense is definitely one of the best in the NFL. Opponents are scoring just 18 points per game on Pittsburgh.
Ben Roethlisberger is having another solid season at the quarterback spot. Mike Wallace has emerged as one of the best deep threats in the entire NFL. Heath Miller and Hines Ward give Big Ben two reliable targets in shorter yardage situations. Rashard Mendenhall had a breakout season last year. The running game hasn’t gotten going quite as well this year. The Steelers offensive line needs to be more consistent in its blocking. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Most Bengals fans hoped Andy Dalton would come in and manage the game well. Dalton has done more than just manage the game; he has played very well for the Bengals. In fact, at this point Dalton has proved to be an upgrade over Carson Palmer’s play from the last couple years. Dalton is completing 62% of his passes, and he already has 12 touchdown passes. A.J. Green is going to be a star wide receiver in the NFL for a long time to come, and he has already caught 40 passes this season. Jermaine Gresham and Jerome Simpson are also having good years. The Bengals offense has been great at converting their chances in the red zone so far this year.
The primary reason this team is 6-2 is the play of the defense. The front seven has been terrific against the run. Opponents are averaging just 85 yards per game on the ground this year. Rey Maualuga is one of the leaders of this defense, and he is expected back this weekend after missing the last four games. Can the Bengals defense rise up against the hated divisional rivals from Pittsburgh?
Both teams understand the importance of this game. The strength of both teams is their defense. Look for this to be a hard fought game where both teams settle for quite a few field goals. I like the under.
Free NFL Pick: Under 41.5
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