Steelers Line: Narrow Favorites against Bengals

After losing to rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the Steelers will once again be on the road, against a divisional opponent, and facing an inexperienced quarterback in Week 12, when they are scheduled to visit the Cincinnati Bengals, who will be without starter Joe Burrow for the rest of the 2023 season.

Against the Steelers, the Bengals are expected to start Jake Browning, who filled in for Burrow after he was injured during last Thursday’s Bengals loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Browning is older than Thompson-Robinson, but even less experienced, as the 27-year-old will be making his first career start.

With the journeyman backup under center and a defense much less frightening than Cleveland’s unit, the Vegas oddsmakers like the Steelers’ chances of coming out of Cincinnati with a win. The Steelers opened as one-point favorites in lines posted on Sunday night. The over/under total for the game is 34.5 and the Steelers are -120 on a moneyline bet.

The Steelers have been underdogs seven times in 10 games this season, with a 4-3 record against the spread and also a 4-3 record overall. They beat the Browns outright in Week 2, winning 26-22 as two-point underdogs. They’ve also beaten the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams outright as underdogs. They lost and failed to cover against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 and the Browns on Sunday.

The Bengals are 5-4-1 against the spread this season, and 1-1 as underdogs. They won outright as 4.5-point underdogs against San Francisco on Oct. 29 and lost by 14 to the Ravens last Thursday as four-point underdogs.

The Steelers have had eight of their 10 games go under the total, including this past week, when the Steelers and Browns combined for just 23 points, sliding well under the 32.5-point total that was the lowest in the league last week.

The Bengals have had exactly half of their 10 games go over the total and half go under the total.

Cincinnati has won four of the last six meetings between the teams. The Steelers beat the Bengals in Cincinnati last year, 23-20 in overtime. Before 2020, the Steelers had won the previous 11 straight meetings.

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STEELERS AGAINST THE SPREAD 2023

Week 1 vs. San Francisco +1.0, L 30-7, under 41.5
Week 2 vs. Cleveland +2.0, W 26-22, over 39.0
Week 3 at Las Vegas +3.0, W 23-18, under 43.5
Week 4 at Houston -3.0, L 30-6, under 41.5
Week 5 vs. Baltimore +4.5, W 17-10, under 38.5
Week 6 at Los Angeles +3.5, W 24-17, under 44
Week 8 vs. Jacksonville +2.5, L 20-10, under 41
Week 9 vs. Tennessee -3, W 20-16, under 37
Week 10 vs. Green Bay -3, W 23-19, over 38.5
Week 11 at Cleveland +2.5, L 13-10, under 32.5

STEELERS OVER/UNDER 2023

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