Although many of the well-known names from the recent rivalry games between thePittsburgh SteelersandCincinnati Bengalshave moved on, the bad blood between the clubs remains. They meet again on Monday Night Football at Heinz Field in a clash of struggling AFC North teams still searching for their first win of the season. Kickoff for the nationally-televised contest comes at 8: 15 p.m. ET. Both clubs have had their share of adversity and injuries to start the season, and they’ve also endured close losses. The Steelers (0-3) fell 24-20 last week to theSan Francisco 49ers, while the Bengals (0-3) saw their comeback effort fall short in a 21-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Pittsburgh is a 3.5-point favorite on Monday Night Football, down one from the opener, while the over-under for total points scored is 45 in the latest Steelers vs. Bengals odds. Before finalizing your Bengals vs. Steelers picks, you should consult theNFLpredictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up more than $7,000 for $100 players on its top-ratedNFL pickssince its inception four years ago. It has absolutely nailed its recent top-rated NFL picks, entering Week 4 of the 2019 NFL season on a strong 17-10 run that dates back to last season. It’s also on a 79-53 roll on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. And in Week 3, it was all over theSaints( 5) withoutDrew Breescovering against theSeahawksandDaniel Jonesleading theGiants( 5) to the cover against the Bucs.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch.com for the third straight year on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 96 percent of CBS Sports office pool players. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has dialed in on Steelers vs. Bengals on Monday Night Football. We can tell you it is leaning under, and it also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations. That one is only available at SportsLine.
The model knows the Steelers haven’t started 0-3 since the 2013 season, when they opened 0-4 on their way to an 8-8 mark. But several players told the media this week that their frustration with their results is being channeled towards improvement instead of causing friction in the locker room. Wide receiverJuJu Smith-Schusternoted that sidelined quarterbackBen Roethlisberger(elbow) continues to be around the team providing leadership, saying “everyone’s hand is put in the pile.”
What’s more, many observers believed the team’s trade with theMiami Dolphinsfor second-year free safetyMinkah Fitzpatrickwas a sign that the Steelers aren’t giving up on this season. The early returns from the former Alabama star were positive. He recorded five tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and a quarterback hit in the team’s loss to the 49ers.
Even so, Pittsburgh is far from a sure thing to cover the Bengals vs. Steelers spread against a Cincinnati club that is similarly hungry for its first win of the season.
The Bengals have two close losses sandwiched around a blowout defeat to the 49ers. They fell 21-17 on the road to theBillslast week. But similar to their 21-20 Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, they showed poise after falling behind early and nearly pulled the upset. They overcame a 14-0 halftime deficit to take a 17-14 lead on a 43-yard field goal fromRandy Bullockin the fourth quarter.
Buffalo responded with a 71-yard drive and scored a go-ahead touchdown with 1: 50 left before the Bengals saw their final drive end in a turnover. Cincinnati scored touchdowns on both of its trips to the red zone. Dalton threw for 250 yards and had a rushing touchdown to go along with a one-yard TD pass toJoe Mixon.
So who wins Bengals vs. Steelers on Monday Night Football? And which side of the spread can you bank on in over 50 percent of simulations?Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Steelers vs. Bengals spread to jump on Monday, all from the advanced model that is up more than $7,000 on its top-rated NFL picks, and find out.
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