NFL Classic Matchup – Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday, September 27 – Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

NFL Betting Line: Pittsburgh -4, 37

Pittsburgh and Cincinnati have one of the most lopsided rivalries in the NFL. The Steelers have won five straight against the Bengals and have won eight straight at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers are the defending Super Bowl Champions and Ben Roethlisberger has yet to lose in Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the Bengals lead the league in arrests and Twitter accounts.

However, momentum is on the Bengals side. Cincinnati is coming off a 31-24 shocker against Green Bay last week where Carson Palmer threw for 3 TD’s. Pittsburgh, however, lost last week to Chicago 17-14. Kicker Jeff Reed missed two fourth-quarter field goals in the loss.

What The Steelers Have To Do To Win:

The Steelers defense is still recovering from the loss of Troy Polamalu. They looked lost year last week against Chicago and were unable to make any significant impact against the Bears’ offense. If they want to stop the emerging Cincinnati team from running all over them they need to prove they can handle the loss of arguably the heart and soul of their defense.

If there was a time for the Steelers ground game to break out, now would be it. Willie Parker has been invisible so far this season, gaining just 66 years on 27 carries this season; an average of just 2.4 yards a rush. If Parker and the rest of the running game don’t improve, it could be a long day for the Steelers offense.

The Bengals are obviously a more improved team so far this year than they were last year, so Pittsburgh cannot overlook them. However Mike Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the business and don’t expect the Steelers to take the Bengals lightly, regardless of their one-sided past.

What The Bengals Have To Do To Win:

Attack the secondary. Carson Palmer must exploit the Steelers suddenly weak secondary and stretch the field. Chad Ochocino, who has nine catches for 180 yards and touchdown on the year, has been playing well enough this season to make that happen.

An aggressive passing game will open up the field for the suddenly hot Cedric Benson. The Bengals haven’t had a 100-yard rusher against Pitt since 2004, but expect that stat may change this Sunday. The former first-rounder has 217 yards and a TD in 2 games this season.

Defensive lineman Antwan Odem went wild last week with five sacks against Green Bay. The Bengals haven’t recorded a sack against Pitt in 3 straight games but Big Ben has been sacked 6 times already this season. The matchup definitely works in the Bengals favor.

Advice On The Total:

The Bengals aren’t as bad as everyone thinks they are, but they’re still not as good as the Steelers. The struggling Pittsburgh secondary will allow the Bengals to score, but it won’t be enough. Expect this to be the week Willie Parker breaks out. The Steelers are too talented and too smart to look so bad two weeks in a row. Tomlin will make the necessary adjustments to emerge victorious.

Pick: Steelers -4 and over 37