Monday Night Football Odds – AFC North Showdown Takes Center Stage

The Pittsburgh Steelers are once again contenders in the AFC but Monday Night Football betting lines are that you would have never thought that Cincinnati would be out of the race only half way through the season.

With all the hype surrounding the revamped Cincinnati offense this season, the 2010 campaign will be a total disaster if they don’t win on Monday night!

Monday, November 8, 8:30 PM ET

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PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-2) vs. CINCINNATI BENGALS (2-5)

Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Broadcast: ESPN

Monday Night Football Odds:

Pittsburgh: -5 ½ (-110)

Cincinnati: +5 ½ (-110)

Moneyline: Pittsburgh -240: Cincinnati +200

Total: 41 points

The Pittsburgh Steelers defied the Monday Night Football Odds by handing over a winning team to Ben Roethlisberger. Despite a 20-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints last week, the Steelers still find themselves in a first place tie in their division with a chance to put a nail in the coffin of one of their divisional rivals.

Pittsburgh’s offensive numbers are a tad misleading. The passing offense is currently ranked 29th with 180 yards per game. Keep in mind that there was a stretch where Charlie Batch was the starting pivot! Ben Roethlisberger has bred new life into the offense and he owns a 6-1 all-time record against the Bengals with 12 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions.

The running game has stalled since Ben’s return. Rashard Mendenhall and the rushers still have the 11th best attack in the NFL but Mendenhall has run for a measly 67.8 yard average in his last four games. The Steelers have a history of running wild on the Bengals defense so look for Mendenhall to break out.

The Steelers defense has been typically stout but is unusually vulnerable versus the pass. They are ranked #1 against the run (58.86 yards per game) but are 25th versus the pass (243 yards per game). Troy Polamalu has been average of late and the secondary has followed suit.

The Cincinnati Bengals defied the Monday Night Football odds last season when they swept the season series with the Steelers and won the AFC North. This year has been different however. The Bengals are mired in a four game skid (no wins on October) and are tied with Cleveland for last place in the division.

The offense has struggled to find any rhythm and consistency this season. Carson Palmer has the weapons but is clearly lacking the physical tools to consistently find them. With no help from Cedric Benson lately, the Cincinnati offense has become way too predictable. They currently have the 20th ranked running game and the 6th ranked passing game. Cincinnati may find limited success through the air against Pittsburgh’s 25th ranked passing defense.

Defensively, the Bengals have been a colossal disappointment. They have the 23rd ranked run defense and the 20th ranked pass defense. In the last three games, Cincinnati has given up an average of 138 yards on the ground – Are you listening Rashard Mendenhall?

Monday Night Football Odds Outlook:

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 8-2 S/U in their last 10 games are 4-1 S/U in their last five on the road and are 5-0 S/U on Monday Night under Coach Mike Tomlin. The Steelers are 5-2 S/U in their last seven games against Cincinnati and are 8-1 S/U when visiting the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals are 1-4 S/U and ATS in their last five games, are 6-3 S/U in their last nine at home but are only 1-6 ATS in their last seven on home turf. Cincinnati is 2-5 S/U and ATS versus Pittsburgh in the last seven meetings.

The Bengals look like a team in disarray and now they have to face the nastiest defense in the land! Pittsburgh will be motivated after a lackluster performance in New Orleans in Week 8 and will look to take their frustrations out on the Bengals. Simply put, the Steelers are the better team on offense and defense. This game won’t be close.

Monday Night Football Odds Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers -5 ½