The AFC North is set to see two divisional games this week. One of those two match-ups sees two teams with 1-0 records, who happen to have some serious bad blood from last season, set to do battle. Everyone remembers the Cincinnati Bengals squaring off with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, in the game that the Bengals lost in typical Bengals fashion. Well, this week the Bengals get their first shot at revenge.
Last week saw the Steelers offense explode, scoring 38 points on the road against the Redskins. Ben Roethlisberger will lead an offense that can put up some serious points, even without running back Le’Veon Bell who is out with a suspension. DeAngelo Williams filled in with a monster game last week, and star wide receiver Antonio Brown is also a threat for a monster game. Youngsters like Eli Rogers, Jesse James and Sammy Coates all proved they are capable as well. The Steelers defensive unit is not quite as prolific, but they can surely score points with any other team.
Meanwhile, the Bengals have their fair share of weapons, but also typically play a more conservative style. Marvin Lewis prefers to run the ball, but if he falls behind early on the road, look for AJ Green to become a major factor.
The Bengals can pick apart that Steelers secondary if they choose to go with a more passing style of play in this one, and let Jeremy Hill do most of his work around the goal-line. The Bengals do have the edge regarding defense, but they have the tall order of stopping Brown and company.
Any game the Steelers play in is always going to have the potential to be a high-scoring affair, and I would say this one turns out to be just that. At the end of the day, Green and Dalton will not be enough to overcome Big Ben and Brown.
Line: Pit -3.5, O/U: 48.5
Pick: Steelers and the over
Result: Pit 24 – Cin 16, Steelers and the under
To see the spreads and over/under for each week two match-up, make sure you head over to our master-sheet right here!