The Cincinnati Bengals host the surging Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday Dec 12, as the Steelers look for their fourth straight win and the Bengals try to avoid their tenth consecutive loss. The Steelers won their last meeting 27-21, on the road, in Week 9. NFL oddsmakers have the Steelers as -9.5 point home favorites over the Bengals while the game's total has been posted at 40.5 points. Be sure to get the latest NFL Point Spreads for your NFL Week 14 Picks on the Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Odds.
The Bengals (2-10) (1-5 V) lost to New Orleans 30-34, at home, in Week 13 and sit last in the AFC North. QB Carson Palmer completed 23 of 33 passes for 249 yards with one TD. RB Cedric Benson had 19 carries for 49 yards with two TD’s, while WR Chad OchoCinco made five catches for 96 yards. WR Terrell Owens added their lone receiving TD. Their defense had two sacks and one interception. The addition of Terrell Owens hasn't worked. His production has been there, but by pairing T.O. with Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals put too much emphasis on their passing game. They were a playoff team powered by Cedric Benson and their running game in 2009, but they've gone away from that. Get back to running the ball with lots of play action passes. The Bengals are ranked 22nd on offense (328ypg) with an 13th ranked pass game (235ypg) and a 26th ranked ground game (92ypg). Terrell Owens leads their receiving core with 961 yards receiving with nine TD’s. RB Cedric Benson leads their ground game with 837 yards rushing with seven TD’s, but six fumbles. The Bengals square off against the Steelers fifth ranked defense (301ypg), their 24th ranked pass rush (239ypg) and the NFL’s best ranked rush defense (62ypg). The Steelers give up the second least amount of points per-game (15.9ppg). Troy Polamalu has four interceptions for the Steelers.
The Steelers (9-3) (3-2 H) won in Baltimore 13-10, in Week 13 and have taken over top spot in the AFC North. QB Ben Roethlisberger completed 22 of 38 passes for 253 yards with one TD and an interception. RB Rashard Mendenhall had 19 carries for 45 yards, while WR Mike Wallace made five catches for 76 yards. TE Isaac Redman caught their lone TD pass. Their defense got four sacks and no interceptions. QB Ben Roethlisberger has undergone surgery to repair his broken nose. He was injured while being sacked Sunday night by Baltimore's Haloti Ngata. The Steelers are seeking a punter after losing Daniel Sepulveda for the rest of the season with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament. Sepulveda's injury means the Steelers will change their kicker and punter in the same season. They released kicker Jeff Reed last month and signed Shaun Suisham, who has converted his first six field goal attempts. Sepulveda ranks seventh among NFL punters with a 45.5 yards per punt average and is ninth in net punting with a 39.1 average. The Steelers are ranked 21st on offense (330ypg) with an 18th ranked pass game (210ypg) and a 10th ranked ground game (120ypg). The Steelers score the 15th most points per-game (22.2ppg). Rashard Mendenhall leads their offense with nine TD’s. The Steelers face the Bengals 20th ranked defense (347ypg), their 16th ranked pass rush (222ypg) and their 24th ranked rush defense (124ypg). The Bengals defense allows the 28th most amount of points per-game (26.8ppg). Leon Hall has four interceptions for the Bengals.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Over is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings in Pittsburgh.
- Favorite is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 meetings.
- Bengals are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 meetings.
- Road team is 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18 meetings.
- Bengals are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0.
- Bengals are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. AFC.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers
When: Sun, Dec 12, 1:00 PM ET
Pick: Steelers -9.5
Point-Spreads.com recommends you get your NFL Picks Week 14 in early!
The Bottom Line: The Bengals are going to get pounded by the Steelers defense. Be sure to get your NFL Week 14 Picks on the Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Odds
