Andrew Ortenberg
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One of the most pivotal games of the Week 17 slate is this Bengals/Steelers AFC North clash. If the Browns can beat the Ravens, then the Steelers will secure the division title with a win here. Both teams have dealt with some tough luck recently, and are looking to finish the season on a positive note. The Steelers are 14.5 point favorites with a total of 45.5 here as the Bengals look to play spoiler. Here’s what to expect from each side in our Odds & Prediction for Bengals-Steelers.
Steelers
The Steelers have had a rollercoaster of a season, alternating big wins with shocking losses. They’ve lost to teams they had no business losing to like the Raiders, while also beating the Patriots. Last week they blew a late lead against the Saints with a series of head scratching errors, putting them in the position they’re currently in.
They need to win this game and get some help from the Browns, but they’ll be all in to win this game first. It sounds like James Conner could finally return this week, and his status will be something you’ll need to monitor. Jaylen Samuels has filled in admirably, but the Steelers’ ground game isn’t the same without Conner.
While the Steelers have blown some games due to a lack of focus, they still are one of the most talented teams in the league. They have a Hall of Fame quarterback, elite skill position players, one of the best offensive lines in the league, a very strong pass rush, and a true number one corner in Joe Haden. When they’re locked in they’re capable of playing like a top team, as they showed with their effort in New Orleans. The Bengals’ defense is an injured mess, and Ben Roethlisberger should have no problem picking it apart. In a must-win game where they’ll be very focused, I expect the Steelers to play very well.
Bengals
The Bengals don’t really have much to play for here, and aren’t a team with a very strong culture to rally around their coach and try to win for pride. They haven’t been very competitive since Andy Dalton went down, winning only one game with Jeff Driskel against the Raiders, and I don’t expect them to suddenly have a spark here.
They’ll be playing on the road, so they won’t have the added motivation of trying to win for their home fans or anything. Driskel has been predictably bad, and playing behind a poor offensive line, should really struggle with the pressure that T.J. Watt and company will surely supply.
The team’s all out effort, if they had one in them, was going to be last week against the Browns as they had an opportunity to avenge their embarrassing loss earlier this season. Their comeback effort ultimately came up short, and I don’t think they’ll have much left in the tank after that. They’ll be without linebacker Vontaze Burfict again, who went down against the Browns, and it looks like they’ll be without receiver Tyler Boyd in addition to A.J. Green.
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