Pittsburgh (9-2) at Cincinnati (6-5)
When: Monday, December 4th 2017
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Time: 8:30 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Pittsburgh -6.5/43
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The Cincinnati Bengals have stayed alive in the AFC playoff race by taking care of a couple of last place teams, but the competition ramps up this week when they host the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. Cincinnati, which entered Week 13 one game behind sixth-place Baltimore and Buffalo in the chase for the final wild card, was dominated by the Steelers 29-14 in Pittsburgh in Week 7. Cincinnati broke a two-game skid with wins over Denver and winless Cleveland, allowing just 33 points combined in the two games. The Steelers, who own the tiebreaker with New England for the top record in the AFC, extended their winning streak to six games by rallying for a 31-28 victory over Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay last week. Pittsburgh has won 10 straight prime-time games and has beaten the Bengals five times in a row while winning its last four visits to Cincinnati including the postseason.
Ben Roethlisberger comes back to his home state where he is 23-4 as a starter and is coming off a huge game against Green Bay. Big Ben tossed four touchdowns for the second straight game and threw for a season-high 351 yards in the Sunday night win. Two of those scoring passes went to star wide receiver Antonio Brown, who had 10 catches for 169 yards and leads the NFL in in receptions (80) and yards (1,195). Brown, who hasn’t missed a game in five years, did not practice the past two days and is questionable for Monday. Running back Le’Veon Bell leads the NFL in rushing yards with 981 yards and ran for 134 of those on 35 carries in the first meeting versus the Bengals and had 95 yards on the ground and 12 receptions a week ago. Pittsburgh’s secondary allowed three long touchdown passes by Green Bay, but the defense only gives up 17.5 points per game and ranks No. 2 in sacks with 38.
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Cincinnati managed to score 30 points last week for just the second time this season, but both have been against the hapless Browns. Rookie running back Joe Mixon broke-out for a season-high 114 yards and a score and caught three passes for 51 yards. Quarterback Andy Dalton has nine touchdowns and zero interceptions since the loss to the Steelers, when he was sacked four times, picked off twice and the Bengals managed just 19 total yards in the second half. Wide receiver A.J. Green has a team-high 809 receiving yards, which more than doubles any other Bengals player – for an offense that ranks 32nd overall (274.3 yards) and 31st in rushing (75.6). Cincinnati is third in sacks (33) and gives up 19.5 points per game after last week’s 30-16 win. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins has seven sacks in his last seven home games, and four in the last six home matchups versus Pittsburgh.
I really don’t see how the Bengals will muster anything offensively against Pittsburgh here. This game has blowout written all over it. Roethlisberger plays his best in prime time games and I don’t see that changing here.
Pick: Steelers -5
- Steelers are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
- Steelers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games in Week 13.
- Steelers are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games in December.
- Steelers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Steelers are 8-24-1 ATS in their last 33 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
- Bengals are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in December.
- Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in Week 13.
- Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Bengals are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Bengals are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Bengals are 4-9-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Bengals are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games after allowing more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Bengals are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Under is 10-1 in Steelers last 11 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
- Under is 8-1 in Steelers last 9 games on fieldturf.
- Under is 5-1 in Steelers last 6 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Under is 22-5 in Steelers last 27 road games.
- Over is 4-1 in Steelers last 5 games in Week 13.
- Under is 20-6 in Steelers last 26 vs. a team with a losing record.
- Under is 13-4-1 in Steelers last 18 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Under is 13-4-1 in Steelers last 18 vs. AFC North.
- Under is 19-7 in Steelers last 26 vs. AFC.
- Under is 35-16-1 in Steelers last 52 games overall.
- Under is 15-7 in Steelers last 22 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
- Under is 37-18-1 in Steelers last 56 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 5-1 in Bengals last 6 games in December.
- Under is 5-1 in Bengals last 6 games in Week 13.
- Under is 4-1 in Bengals last 5 Monday games.
- Under is 4-1 in Bengals last 5 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Under is 16-5 in Bengals last 21 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 12-4 in Bengals last 16 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Under is 12-4 in Bengals last 16 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 9-3 in Bengals last 12 games on fieldturf.
- Under is 12-4 in Bengals last 16 vs. AFC.
- Under is 12-4 in Bengals last 16 vs. AFC North.
- Under is 6-2 in Bengals last 8 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 5-2 in Bengals last 7 home games.
- Under is 13-6 in Bengals last 19 games overall.
- Favorite is 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 meetings.
- Steelers are 16-3-2 ATS in their last 21 meetings in Cincinnati.
- Steelers are 20-7-2 ATS in their last 29 meetings.
- Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
