Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers Matchup

Check out our week 13 Steelers vs. Bengals pick and preview to get our insight on to who will win and cover in Cincinnati.

The Bengals are favored at -152 on the money line as they host the Steelers at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 1st. The game is being televised on CBS, and the point spread is -3 in favor of the Bengals. The over/under line is set at 47 points. The Bengals and Steelers are both looking to improve their records in this week 13 AFC North matchup.

Steelers vs. Bengals Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Where: Cincinnati at Paycor Stadium
Date: Sunday, December 1st
Betting Odds CIN -3, PIT +127 | CIN -152 O/U 47

Steelers Preview:

Heading into week 13, the Steelers sit 10th in our power rankings and have a 94.5% chance of making the playoffs, along with a 43% chance of winning the AFC North. Pittsburgh is currently 8-3, which puts them 1st in the division. They are 4-1 at home and 4-2 on the road, with their most recent game being a 24-19 loss to the Browns in week 12.

Against the spread, the Steelers are 8-3, including a 4-0 record as underdogs. They are 4-3 when favored, including failing to cover as 3.5-point favorites against the Browns. Their O/U record is 6-5, with their games averaging 39.8 points compared to an average line of 40.4.

Steelers Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 13, the Steelers rank 17th in our offensive power rankings. They are 14th in the NFL in points per game, averaging 22.9, and 18th in yards per game, with 328. Pittsburgh relies heavily on the run game, ranking 2nd in rushing attempts and 8th in rushing yards per game (135.2). On the other hand, they are 31st in passing attempts and 26th in passing yards, averaging 192.8 per game. The Steelers rank 15th in 3rd-down conversions, with a 38.9% success rate, and are 12th in red zone conversion percentage.

Russell Wilson threw for 270 yards (21/28) and a touchdown in week 12 against the Browns, posting a passer rating of 116. Calvin Austin III led the team with 78 receiving yards on 3 catches, while Jaylen Warren had 45 rushing yards on 11 carries. Pittsburgh scored 13 points in the 4th quarter after being held to 6 points through 3 quarters.

Steelers Team Defense

In their 24-19 loss to the Browns, the Steelers' defense held Cleveland to just 85 yards rushing on 27 attempts. They limited the Browns to 219 passing yards and allowed just one sack. The Steelers' defense was strong on third down, allowing the Browns to convert just 10% of their third-down opportunities. They also came up with one interception and didn't give up any passing touchdowns.

Despite their strong performance on third down, the Steelers struggled to generate tackles for loss, losing that battle to the Browns by a margin of -10. Cleveland finished with 304 total yards in the game.

Bengals Preview:

Heading into week 13, the Bengals are looking to snap a two-game losing streak, which includes a 34-27 road loss to the Chargers in week 11. This dropped Cincinnati to 4-7 on the season, putting them 3rd in the AFC North. They currently have a +0.1 scoring margin and are 6-5 against the spread, including 4-3 as favorites and 2-2 as underdogs. Their O/U record is 8-3, with the over hitting in four straight games.

Our power rankings have the Bengals 15th this week, and we give them a 13% chance of making the playoffs. They have a 0.2% chance of winning the division. Cincinnati is 1-4 at home and 3-3 on the road this season.

Bengals Offense Breakdown

Joe Burrow has been putting up big numbers for the Bengals, throwing for 356 yards and 3 touchdowns in week 11 against the Chargers. He had a passer rating of 98, completing 28 of 50 passes without an interception. Burrow's top target was Tee Higgins, who caught 9 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. Chase Brown led the rushing attack with 22 carries for 86 yards.

Cincinnati's offense ranks 4th in our power rankings, averaging 27 points per game, which is 6th in the NFL. They lead the league in passing yards per game with 262.7, while ranking 27th in rushing with 91.5 yards per game. On 3rd down, they convert 45.2% of the time, placing them 5th in the NFL.

Bengals Team Defense

In their 34-27 loss to the Chargers, the Bengals' defense struggled to stop the run, giving up 155 yards on just 25 attempts, including a 6.2 yards per attempt average. Despite this, they did hold the Chargers to a 27.3% third-down conversion rate. The Bengals allowed 280 passing yards on just 17 completions, with two passing touchdowns. Overall, the Bengals allowed 435 total yards in the game.

Cincinnati's defense managed two sacks and limited the Chargers to a 47.2% completion rate. However, their inability to stop the run contributed to the Chargers' offensive success, as they averaged 7.8 yards per pass attempt. The Bengals also lost the tackles for loss battle, finishing with one fewer tackle for loss than the Chargers.

Steelers vs Bengals Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road contests, the Steelers offense has averaged 21 points per game while allowing an average of 20. Pittsburgh posted an overall record of 6-4 while going 6-4 ATS.
The Bengals are 4-1 ATS in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
The Steelers have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 3-0 straight up and 3-0 against the spread.
The Bengals have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 4-1 straight up and 4-1 against the spread.