Bengals vs. Steelers Betting Odds, Picks and Predictions for Thursday Night Football
Week 7 gets underway Thursday with an AFC North battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. QB Aaron Rodgers has the Steelers off to a 4-1 start, while the Bengals are already on their third starting quarterback of the season. Let's look at the betting options for this game and highlight three wagers to consider.
Mike Barner's season record: 18-15 (-0.20 units)
Bengals vs. Steelers Betting Odds
Steelers Spread -4.5 (-115 ESPN Bet), -240 Moneyline (ESPN Bet)
Bengals: Spread +5.5 (-105 BetMGM), +220 Moneyline (DraftKings)
Game Total: Over 44.5 points (-110 Bet Rivers), Under 45 (-110 Caesars)
The Bengals will be missing two tight ends with Mike Gesicki (pectoral) and Tanner Hudson (concussion) out. The Steelers will be without WR Calvin Austin III (shoulder), who also sat out last week against the Cleveland Browns.
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Bengals vs. Steelers Betting Picks
DK Metcalf 60+ receiving yards (-129 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 Unit
Rodgers has an average target depth of just 6.1 yards, but that hasn't stopped Metcalf from being productive. Last week, he caught four of nine targets for 95 yards and one touchdown against the Browns. That marked the third time over his five games that he has finished with at least 83 receiving yards. Despite the Steelers' conservative passing attack, Metcalf has remained productive because he has accounted for 23.1 percent of the team's targets while averaging 11.7 yards after the catch.
Austin being out means that the Steelers will need to rely even more heavily on their star wide receiver. The Bengals have struggled on defense, mainly because they have allowed the second-most passing yards per game in the league. With the potential for Metcalf to approach 10 targets in a favorable matchup, this wager is very appealing.
Darnell Washington over 2.5 receptions (-121 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 Unit
With Austin out last week, Metcalf led the Steelers with his nine targets. Behind him was running back Kenneth Gainwell, who caught all six of targets, but finished with just 14 receiving yards. After him was Washington with five targets. Washington finished the matchup with three receptions for 62 yards. That marked his second straight game with three receptions.
The crazy thing with Austin being out last week was the Steelers basically avoided their other wide receivers behind Metcalf. Roman Wilson was the only other wideout to get a target, and he finished with just one of them. Outside of Metcalf, look for the Steelers to rely heavily on their tight ends. That's great news for Washington, especially with the Bengals being tied for the sixth-most receptions allowed to tight ends.
Noah Fant over 28.5 receiving yards (-112 DraftKings Sportsbook) for 1 Unit
Joe Flacco took over as the Bengals' starting quarterback last week. The change worked out well for Fant, who caught all four of his targets for 27 yards against the Packers. Fant's average depth of target of just 2.7 yards is not ideal, but he has an 88.9 percent catch rate and has been targeted on 29.0 percent of his routes run.
With Gesicki and Hudson out, Fant is primed for an increased role against the Steelers. Drew Sample is also in the fold, but he is more of a blocking tight end. He has just five receptions all season. The Bengals have allowed 30.5 points per game, which means that their offense is often forced to throw a lot to try and keep them in the game. If that scenario unfolds again, Fant could be primed for his best performance of the season.
Bengals vs. Steelers Prediction
The Bengals have lost four straight games with a minus-80 point differential, worst in the NFL. The Steelers have won three straight, while going 2-0 on the road this season. Things can get crazy on Thursday Night Football with teams being on short rest, but given the issues that the Bengals have on defense and on their offensive line, the Steelers are in a great position to improve their record to 5-1.
Steelers 27, Bengals 20
