Previewing Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals Week 12 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets
The Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5) visit the winless Cincinnati Bengals (0-10) Saturday for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Paul Brown Stadium. We analyze the Steelers-Bengals odds and sports betting lines, while providing betting tips and advice on this Week 12 NFL matchup.
Steelers at Bengals: Week 12 preview, betting trends and notes
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The Steelers will have more than a week off after having a five-game winning streak snapped in a 21-7 loss at the Cleveland Browns in Week 11’s Thursday night game – the Steelers were 3-point underdogs.
The Bengals lost – but covered as 13-point dogs – at the Oakland Raiders 17-10 Sunday
The Steelers are 1-3 on the road and 6-4 against the spread (ATS) overall.
The Bengals are 0-4 at home and 4-6 ATS.
Both teams are 3-7 against the Over/Under this season.
The Steelers won the first head-to-head meeting of the season 27-3 at home Sept. 30.
Steelers QB Mason Rudolph has thrown for 1,551 yards with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions, completing 62.3% of his passes.
In his two starts, Finley has thrown for 282 yards with one TD and two picks, while completing 47.5% of his passes.
The Steelers defense is 13th in points allowed (20.2 PPG), while the Bengals are 28th (27.6 PPG).
Steelers at Bengals: Key injuries
Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion, knee) is doubtful, while RB James Conner (shoulder) and WR Diontae Johnson (concussion) are questionable.
Bengals WRs A.J. Green (ankle) and Auden Tate (concussion) are questionable.
Steelers at Bengals: Odds, betting lines and prediction
The Bengals (+225) may win eventually, but it won’t be against the STEELERS (-286), who have won nine straight in this AFC North rivalry. The -286 price is expensive, but if you’re willing – every $2.86 wagered will profit $1 if Pittsburgh wins – go for it.
The STEELERS (-6.5, -110) are worth a small play. As mentioned, they’ve had a few extra days off and should be fired up after the Browns loss. The Bengals might be playing for pride, but they’re 0-4 ATS at home and with the way their season is going, the home fans likely won’t show up in force.
The UNDER38.5 (+100) is the STRONGEST PLAY. Both teams struggle to score, ranking in the bottom third of the NFL. The Steelers are 24th, averaging 22.0 points per game, while the Bengals are 30th at 14.7 PPG. The past two head-to-head meetings totaled 30 and 29 points, respectively, and the last eight matchups are 2-6 O/U.
Plus, the Under is 7-1 in the Steelers’ last eight games after a loss, and the Under is 8-1-2 in the Bengals’ last 11 games inside the AFC.
New to sports betting? The +100 is an even bet. Every $1 wagered profits $1 if the two teams combine for 38 or fewer points.
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Johnny’s plays since Nov. 6: 7-6. Strongest plays: 4-2.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers might not be at their best when the Cincinnati Bengals welcome them to Paul Brown Stadium over the weekend.
While the fight with Myles Garrett got most of the attention, the Steelers suffered a bevy of losses in the process of the overall loss.
Among those injured were wideouts JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson. Both of the team’s leading receivers are officially in concussion protocol according to Mike Tomlin, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
In other words, Conner (390 yards, four touchdowns) Smith-Schuster (524 yards, three touchdowns) and Johnson (380 yards, three touchdowns) could all miss the game, leaving backup quarterback Mason Rudolph with limited options.
This at a time the Bengals defense experienced a revival of sorts during the 17-10 loss to Oakland last weekend.
While the Bengals aren’t overly healthy either, they’ll surely take anything they can get as they hope to avoid cementing the worst start in franchise history with an 0-11 record.
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Yards
TD
Josh Allen
256-56
4
Jimmy Garoppolo
424-7
4
Lamar Jackson
222-86
4
Dak Prescott
444-18
3
Sam Darnold
293-(-3)
4
Running Backs
Yards
TD
Mark Ingram
85
2
Ezekiel Elliott
73
2
Christian McCaffrey
191
0
Todd Gurley
133
1
Marlon Mack
109
1
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
John Brown
137
2
D.J. Chark
104
2
Calvin Ridley
143
1
Stefon Diggs
121
1
Randall Cobb
115
1
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Ryan Griffin
109
1
Mark Andrews
75
1
Ross Dwelley
14
2
Kyle Rudolph
67
1
Dallas Goedert
36
1
Placekickers
XP
FG
Steven Hauschka
4
3
Brandon McManus
2
3
Justin Tucker
5
2
Will Lutz
4
2
Younghoe Koo
2
3
Defense
Sck-TO
TD
Falcons
5-4
1
Browns
4-4
0
Ravens
7-2
0
Saints
2-4
1
49ers
4-2
1
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
RB Marlon Mack – Hand
WR Auden Tate – Neck
QB Jameis Winston – Ankle
WR Phillip Dorsett – Head
RB James Conner – Shoulder
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster – Concussion
WR Diontae Johnson – Concussion
QB Mitchell Trubisky – Hip/futility
Chasing Ambulances
A light week is always great to see. But it also means fewer new options for free agents. Winston is expected to be fine, so there was just one injury that will force a depth chart change.
RB Marlon Mack – Is reported to have fractured his hand which means multiple weeks. Jordan Wilkins is out with an ankle injury and never practiced last week. That forced the Colts to rely on fourth-year scrub depth player Jonathan Williams who is already on his third team and only totaled 32 career carries before this week. He ran for 116 yards on just 13 carries thanks in part to a 48-yard gain. Nyheim Hines remains the third-down back. Williams will fill in until either Mack or Wilkins returns.
RB James Conner – While he was off the injury report, Conner re-injured his shoulder last Thursday and hurt is fantasy owners while preventing Jaylen Samuel owners from knowing that they should start their guy. This is a situation worth tracking since the Steelers play @CIN, CLE, and @ARI next. The Bengals next week is particularly appealing. Trey Edmunds stepped in and ran for 11 yards and caught three passes for 27 yards in relief last week. That was a blowout loss – there should be more work for the backfield this week.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster – Both he and Diontae Johnson left wrestle mania the game with concussions and Johnson seemed to be somewhat severe. If either receiver (or both) is still out, James Washington becomes the No. 1 wideout but that doesn’t mean much will happen. It certainly did not last week.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
QBDeshaun Watson – Only passed for 169 yards and no scores at the Ravens. Fortunately, DeAndre Hopkins (7-80) still had a decent game, unlike all other receivers. Watson is a top fantasy quarterback but has to face IND, NE and DEN next though all are at home.
RB Gus Edwards – He ran for 112 yards and a touchdown on eight carries but he only had two rushes by halftime and Mark Ingram already had eight. Edwards broke off a 63-yard scoring run at the end of the fourth quarter but there’s no change in the backfield. Ingram remains the primary and thanks to Lamar Jackson, that still doesn’t mean that much work.
RB Brian Hill – Not only was he limited to only 30 yards on 15 carries, but it was against the No. 27 defense versus running backs. Kenjon Barner (2-15) and the rookie Qadree Ollison (4-11, TD) both looked better. The next two games face the Buccaneers and Saints which both sport Top-5 defenses versus running backs so there is no right answer here,
RB Ezekiel Elliott – Only ran for 45 yards on 16 carries but did score once and added two catches for 28 yards and a second score. He ran for 152 yards against the Lions last year. Considering the “Got Paid” eras for David Johnson, Le’Veon Bell and Todd Gurley, and now Elliott struggles, have to wonder if that feeds into the next wave of running backs looking to cash in on that second contract.
RB Bo Scarbrough – Was originally drafted by the Cowboys last year and then cut, the ex-Alabama back was called up from the practice squad for his first NFL action. He ran for 55 yards and one score on 14 carries (better than, ahem, Ezekiel in the same game). Ty Johnson has proven to be a non-factor and J.D. McKissic is just a third-down back. Scarbrough will face the Redskins next week and that holds at least a low-level opportunity for a fantasy start.
QB Nick Foles – His return as a starter didn’t cause a win, but at least he threw for 296 yards and two scores. DJ Chark ended with eight catches for 104 yards and both touchdowns, so the switch may actually help Chark. Just not, apparently, anyone else.
WR DeVante Parker – Caught a team-high seven passes for 135 yards in the loss to the Bills. With Preston Williams on injured reserve, Parker is about all the Fins have as wideouts. Allen Hurns turned in four catches for 53 yards replacing Williams and they just signed him to a two-year extension. But Parker holds the only fantasy value on this entire team.
WR Courtland Sutton – The Broncos season is already over and Brandon Allen took the start in Week 9 after Joe Flacco left. That hasn’t proven to be a benefit for anyone – except for Sutton. In Week 9, he caught five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown at the Colts, and then this week he led the team with five receptions for 113 yards in Minnesota. The schedule is not that kind but he comes off one of his worst matchups looking great.
TE Cameron Brate – The Buccaneers played the Saints who were without CB Marshon Lattimore but still managed to handle Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. As perhaps the final middle finger to fantasy owners, O.J. Howard bobbled an easy catch and ended up benched because it was picked off his back for an interception. That left Brate to reel in a career-high ten passes for 73 yards. Why didn’t they trade Howard?
TE Ryan Griffin – The Jets put Chris Herndon on injured reserve so Griffin is still best of the bunch. And that was pretty good against the Redskins. Griffin ended as the top receiver with 109 yards on five catches. Oddly, his last three home games total 27 yards on five receptions. His last three road games add up to 215 yards on 15 catches. He’ll play at the Bengals in Week 13.
RB Derrius Guice – Adrian Peterson remains the primary back, but that only meant nine runs for 25 yards versus the Jets. Guice gained 24 yards on seven rushes and he added one catch for a 45-yard touchdown. The 1-9 Redskins are already trying new things like seventh-round rookie wideout Kelvin Harmon (5-53) and Guice showing up in the box score should get him more work. Not so great for Adrian Peterson.
RB David Johnson – Say goodnight, DJ. He was healthy(ish). He was active. And he never had a touch. Kenyan Drake took them all – 16 carries for 67 yards and six catches for 13 yards at the 49ers. Barring some encouraging words from HC Kliff Kingsbury, that first-round pick has to take the bench and watch.
WR Deebo Samuel – Granted, both games were at home but the rookie turned in eight catches for 112 yards in Week 10 versus the Seahawks and then eight receptions for 134 yards on Sunday against the Cardinals. He’s offering far more consistency and production than any other wideout.
RB Joe Mixon – Too little, too late, but at least Mixon showed up in Week 10 with 151 total yards against the Ravens. On Sunday, he ran for 86 yards on 15 carries (5.7 YPC) and scored in Oakland.
QB Tom Brady – He only threw for 216 yards and no scores at the Eagles and he ended with a QB rating of just 67.3. He had nearly no deep ball and really hasn’t this season. I realize that he is only 42, but he looked slow and old.
Huddle player of the week
John Brown – This was a low-scoring week for fantasy players other than quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Jimmy Garoppolo, Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott. Brown was the top wideout and higher scoring than any running back when he caught nine passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He suffers from playing in an offense that is all about the run, but he doesn’t suffer every week.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
The Steelers offense was decimated by injuries in the first half.
Steelers said JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion), Artie Burns (knee), Ola Adeniyi (concussion) and James Conner (shoulder) all have been ruled out of tonight’s game.
If you don’t laugh you might cry. ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter is reporting the Steelers are currently down four players including two starters for the rest of the game. The two big ones are running back James Conner (shoulder) and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion).
The Steelers are also down two of their best special teamers as linebacker Ola Adeniyi (concussion) and cornerback Artie Burns (knee) are out for the rest of the game as well.
Update: Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is out with a concussion.
In the middle of the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took double helmet-to-helmet hits on an incomplete pass attempt. Smith-Schuster went down hard but after a few minutes was able to walk off the field on his own.
There’s been no official word from the team as of yet but given the night the Steelers are having, it is safe to assume we will find out very quickly Smith-Schuster is questionable to return as he is being evaluated for a concussion.
The Steelers are already thin at wide receiver but an injury to Smith-Schuster would really force the hand of the Steelers passing offense. The Steelers trail the Browns 14-0 with 7:26 left in the first half.
Often times, the best fantasy seasons can get blown up in a one-and-done scenario and often the difference between winning and losing can come down to a single player with a favorable matchup.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Often times, the best fantasy seasons can get blown up in a one-and-done scenario and often the difference between winning and losing can come down to a single player with a favorable matchup.
It’s never too early to begin planning for the run to a championship and we’re looking at what, on paper at this time, look to be the five best closing schedules based on opponents and the five worst. The teams listed have their final four games because, while most fantasy championships are decided in Week 16, there are some leagues that play 17-week schedules or have a free-for-all game in Week 17 that can win fantasy owners some transaction money as well.
THE FIVE BEST
Philadelphia Eagles (NY GIANTS, at Washington, DALLAS, at NYG Giants) – With two games against the hapless Giants, another with Washington and games in Week 14 and 16 at home, the Eagles closing schedule is about as good as it could be.
Green Bay Packers (WASHINGTON, CHICAGO, at Minnesota, at Detroit) – With Washington and Chicago having to come to Lambeau Field in December, that is a huge advantage for the Packers and, given that they’ve owned the NFC North all season, going into climate-controlled games at Minnesota aren’t much worse.
Cleveland Browns (CINCINNATI, at Arizona, BALTIMORE, at Cincinnati) – Getting Cincinnati twice and the struggling Cardinals in the mix, this is a pretty good schedule for a team that underachieved to date and needs to finish the season strong, whether it leads to an unlikely playoff berth or not.
Minnesota Vikings (DETROIT, at LA Chargers, GREEN BAY, CHICAGO) – With three of four games at home, where Minnesota has been dominant since US Bank Stadium opened, they will be a hard team to beat or keep out of the playoffs.
New England Patriots (KANSAS CITY, at Cincinnati, BUFFALO, MIAMI) – The Patriots have three of four games at home and the only road game against hapless Cincinnati, which should play to their strengths…again.
THE FIVE WORST
Los Angeles Rams (SEATTLE, at Dallas, at San Francisco, ARIZONA) – With the Seahawks, Cowboys and 49ers on their plate for the fantasy playoffs, the road to trying to repeat at NFC champions will be a tough road for the Rams.
Buffalo Bills (BALTIMORE, at Pittsburgh, at New England, NY JETS) – The Bills have been a good story in the first half of the season, but landing the Ravens and then road games at Pittsburgh and New England will be as tough as it gets for AFC contenders.
Chicago Bears (DALLAS, at Green Bay, KANSAS CITY, at Minnesota) – The Bears have been a disappointment this season when compared to expectations and all four of their final opponents are currently set to be playoff teams
Seattle Seahawks (at LA Rams, at Carolina, ARIZONA, SAN FRANCISCO) – With road games against the Rams and Panthers to start the fantasy playoffs and closing out with San Francisco, the only saving grace here would be the Week 16 home game against the Cardinals.
Washington Redskins (at Green Bay, PHILADELPHIA, NY GIANTS, at Dallas) – The Redskins 2019 season has been a disappointment and things don’t get easier with the Packers, Eagles and Cowboys on the closing slate of games.
Here is the Week 11 Fantasy Market Report:
RISERS
Kyle Rudolph – In a year when tight ends haven’t been consistently producing huge numbers, Rudolph was invisible at the start of the season. In the first five games (he was healthy for all of them), he was targeted just eight times, catching six passes for just 36 yards and no touchdowns. When Adam Thielen went down in Week 7, Rudolph got incorporated back into the offense. In the last four games, he has caught 15 passes for 112 yards and four touchdowns, making himself fantasy relevant once again.
Michael Thomas – While Thomas has been dominant throughout his career, what he has accomplished this season is nothing short of astounding. In nine games, he has been targeted 108 times, catching 86 passes for 1,027 yards and four touchdowns – a pace that would shatter his career highs across the board. He’s on pace for 183 targets, catching 153 passes 1,826 yards and seven TDs. He has just two games with less than 11 targets, one game with less than eight receptions, one game with less than 89 receiving yards, five games with 10 or more receptions and five games with more than 110 receiving yards. You don’t hear his name in MVP discussions, but there is no more valuable receiver in the league this year to his team.
Ronald Jones – Jones hasn’t been a guy fantasy owners have wanted to start every week because he’s been in a timeshare with Peyton Barber and didn’t look worthy of his draft slot as a rooking. But, in his last six games, he has rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 142 more yards. He still isn’t a guaranteed starter in most leagues, but he’s giving owners a viable option if they need a player.
Golden Tate – Tate was kind of an afterthought after missing the first four games of the season due to suspension. But, with all the turmoil in New York, he has been the steadying influence on the offense in the six games he’s played. In the last five games, he has been targeted 54 times, catching 30 passes for 404 yards and three touchdowns. He has caught six or more passes in four of those games and has 80 or more receiving yards in four of those five as well. Tate has never been a touchdown machine, but he has a history of being a volume-of-receptions guy and he is quickly establishing himself as the No. 1 receiving target in New York.
Melvin Gordon – It took Gordon some time to get up to speed after his holdout. In his first four games, Gordon rushed 44 times for just 112 yards in one touchdown – averaging just 2.5 yards a carry. In his last two games, he has looked like Gordon of old, rushing 42 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns. For a guy who was a pain for fantasy owners the first half of the season, he’s looking like his former self, which was one of the most dynamic fantasy running backs in the game.
FALLERS
Devonta Freeman – The biggest concern for most fantasy owners was whether Freeman could stay healthy for 16 games after battling injuries much of 2017 and missing all but two games last year. While he left Sunday’s win against New Orleans with an ankle injury. The fact of the matter is that he has no 100-yard rushing games through nine games, has just two games with more than 13 carries and two games with 40 or more rushing yards, has averaged just 7.4 yards per reception with just three games with more than three catches and his three TDs this season have all been as a receiver. His production had ground to a halt. In his last three games, he has rushed 30 times for just 96 yards, caught 13 passes for just 79 yards and scored no touchdowns. In this instance, an injury may be a good thing because it will end the temptation to keep him in your lineup.
JuJu Smith-Schuster – Jalen Ramsey played the “you’re no Antonio Brown card” last week before the Steelers-Rams game, but anyone who has JuJu already knows that. Without Ben Roethlisberger gun-slinging, Smith-Schuster’s numbers have suffered. In his last six games, he has three or fewer receptions in four them and yardage days of 15, 7, 16 and 44 in the mix. He has had just enough big games to keep him in lineups, but, at this point, he’s doing fantasy owners more harm than good if they continue starting him every week.
Robby Anderson – He’s been a fantasy enigma. He has a history of stringing together very productive games over the last three years, but this season has been brutal. He has two games with more than 43 receiving yards, has just one touchdown and individual yardage days of 23, 11, 16, 10, 43, 33 and 11. Most owners who had him have likely already dumped him and those who haven’t should consider it because it just doesn’t look like his typical month on fantasy dominance is coming.
Sammy Watkins – Back in Week 1, Watkins set the fantasy world on fire, catching nine passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns. In the nine games the Chiefs have played (seven with Watkins in the starting lineup, he has caught 31 passes for just 314 yards and no touchdowns. He hasn’t hit 65 receiving yards in any game despite the Chiefs slinging the ball early and often in games.
John Brown – Big things were expected from Brown in Buffalo and he showed that early. In his first two games, he caught 14 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. Since then, he has been extremely consistent, catching either four or five passes in every game since and has consistent yardage numbers (51, 69, 75, 83, 54, 76 and 77), but has caught just one touchdown in those seven games. He still gets decent fantasy numbers on a weekly basis, but the big-play, huge-point games he has made a name for himself getti8ng, just haven’t materialized – he doesn’t have a catch of 30 yards since Week 1. We don’t recommend dumping him, but we do suggest managing your expectations for the huge games and big plays Brown has been known for.
Well, Smith-Schuster wasn’t too bothered by the jab from Ramsey. In fact, he shut the Rams cornerback’s talk down by agreeing with him.
Speaking to reporters after the Steelers’ 17-12 win over the Rams, Smith-Schuster was asked about Ramsey’s trash talk and their matchup in the game. Again, Smith-Schuster didn’t take issue with Ramsey’s attempted slight and explained that he’ll never try to be Antonio Brown.
JuJu agreed with Jalen Ramsey’s pre-game assessments that he’s not AB.
“He’s right though. I’m not Antonio Brown. I’ll never be Antonio Brown. I am myself. I’m JuJu Smith-Schuster.” pic.twitter.com/iqNSRfFdBD
“Definitely not. He’s right, though. I’m not Antonio Brown. I’ll never be Antonio Brown. I am myself. I’m JuJu Smith-Schuster. I’m not as good as him (Brown) yet. I still think I have time to proceed to get to his level.”
Oh, and about the experience of matching up with Ramsey? It doesn’t get much better than JuJu’s description. He said that Ramsey used so many cuss words that he had never heard of.
Ramsey did have a solid game — even in the loss. Smith-Schuster was held to just 44 yards on three receptions and six targets. But JuJu will take the win in both the game and the postgame.
Jalen Ramsey introduced a new vocabulary of curse words to JuJu Smith-Schuster.
It’s widely known that Jalen Ramsey likes to talk trash on the field. He’s a player with a lot of confidence in himself, and rightfully so. He’s one of the best cornerbacks in the league and lets people know about it.
JuJu Smith-Schuster has faced Ramsey in the past and did so again on Sunday in the Steelers’ win over the Rams. He heard an earful from Ramsey throughout the game as the two were matched up throughout the game, and afterwards, Smith-Schuster shared some insight on what Ramsey said.
Well, he said as much as he could, at least.
“It was cool, man. He talks a lot. He talks so much. He said so many cuss words I’ve never heard of, and I’m 22 years old. But he’s a good player,” Smith-Schuster told reporters.
Ramsey had some success against Smith-Schuster, but he was also called for two pass interference penalties and was beaten a few times for receptions by Smith-Schuster. The two lined up across from each other all game long, and Smith-Schuster finished with three catches for 44 yards on six targets.
He also mentioned how Ramsey is forced to follow the Rams’ scheme more closely than he had to in Jacksonville.
“It’s a lot different than him being in Jacksonville where he was able to do whatever he wants. Over here, he has to pretty much do what he’s told … so it’s different. But it was a great experience, wish we got more balls thrown at us, but it’s hard when you’re double-teamed.
Leading up to the game, Ramsey said he was “not really worried” about covering Smith-Schuster and was focused more on himself. He also said Smith-Schuster is “not Antonio Brown,” which the young receiver agreed with after the game.
“He’s right, though, I’m not Antonio Brown,” Smith-Schuster said. “I will never be Antonio Brown. I am myself. I’m JuJu Smith-Schuster. I’m not as good as him yet. I think I still have time to proceed to get to his level.”
