Will the Steelers extend their lead in the division?
The seventh week of the NFL season kicks off as usual with a Thursday Night Game. On Thursday night, Cincinnati will host an AFC North division showdown that offers several storylines. The top bookmakers see the visitors as clear favorites in this match, which seems perfectly logical given the records.
After just six weeks, a clear picture has emerged in the division. The Bengals are in second place with only two wins this season, while Pittsburgh is running away with four wins and only one loss. This also explains why the visitors have been given a 5.5-point handicap on the markets.
Cincinnati is once again a prime example of how important the position of quarterback is in American football. On the second day of the season, Zac Taylor’s team lost franchise playmaker Joe Burrow to injury for several months. The Bengals then tried to remain competitive with Jake Browning, but this plan failed miserably! All three games in which the 29-year-old played from the start were lost.
The organization has now taken action and signed Joe Flacco, a veteran who already took over against the Packers last week. Nevertheless, the team suffered its fourth consecutive defeat, losing 18-27. It is doubtful whether Flacco can be the savior who keeps the Bengals in the playoff race until Burrow’s return in December. That’s another reason why we’re avoiding a prediction in favor of the hosts in his home debut at Bengals vs. Steelers.
Of course, our decision to avoid this recommendation is also due to the upcoming opponent, who has won three games in a row since their defeat on the second matchday. Recently, it was finally the defense that shone. While they conceded over 30 points in each of the first two weeks, the Patriots, Vikings, and Browns recently scored 14, 21, and nine points respectively.
With an average of 277.8 yards per game, the offense has not been convincing so far, but the Steelers are a hot candidate for the postseason due to the current situation in the division. With a win on Friday night, they could further extend their lead. You can watch the game on DAZN.
Bengals – Steelers Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
Due to the division affiliation of both franchises, there have been plenty of encounters in the recent past that we can refer to in the H2H section. Pittsburgh has won four of the last six meetings in the past three years and each of the three away games in Ohio. In 50 percent of these six matches, the current over/under line of 43.5 points would have been broken.
A look at the statistics shows that both franchises – despite their different win-loss records – currently have similar strengths and weaknesses. Offensively, both teams have struggled so far: they rank only 31st and 29th in yards per game. They also lag far behind in the passing game (30th and 25th) and in the running game (32nd and 29th).
On the defensive side, things are hardly any better. Only Dallas currently allows more yards per game than the Bengals defense, and Pittsburgh also finds itself in 25th place with over 350 yards allowed. Both teams show weaknesses in pass defense, but the visitors are more stable on the ground.
That’s why the Bengals vs. Steelers odds suggest that Cincinnati will have to rely primarily on the air to succeed offensively. The fact that the passing game has been upgraded thanks to the switch from Browning to Flacco at the playmaker position was evident last week. Will that be enough to take the crown in the division duel?
Bengals – Steelers Tip
We don’t believe so, because the visitors have been too stable overall, and we already mentioned the upward trend of the defense at the beginning. In addition, after a good start with his former team, the Cleveland Browns, Flacco was benched after four games of the current season and a touchdown-interception ratio of 2-6.
Our main tip is therefore to go with the visitors and the star receiver of recent weeks. New signing D.K. Metcalf has recently shown a strong connection with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and has scored a touchdown in each of the last four games. In Bengals vs. Steelers, the betting odds on the markets for a successful end zone visit by the pass receiver are above the 2.00 mark.
Overall, we are also leaning towards a victory for Mike Tomlin’s team. But beware: both teams have a shorter week to prepare due to Thursday’s game, and the franchises and coaches know each other very well. Last but not least, this is a division duel in which nuances often make the difference. Even though we expect a few points in the match, we do not expect the aforementioned over/under to be exceeded.
