Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, 10/21/12, 8:20 PM EST, TV: NBC
Opening Point Spread: Pittsburgh -1.5
Current Betting Line: Pittsburgh -1
Opening Total: 45.5
Current Total: 45.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Pittsburgh has alternated wins and losses in its first five games this year, as it looks to bounce back from a disappointing 26-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans as 5.5-point road favorites. “The panic button, we’re tapping on it,” stated Steelers linebacker Larry Foote. “We can’t lose no more, that’s the approach.” The Steelers are 18-9 in primetime games under head coach Mike Tomlin, which includes a 9-6 mark on the road. Pittsburgh is 8-5 ATS versus division opponents the last two-plus years, with the OVER going 7-6 in those contests.
The Steelers are led offensively by the play of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has thrown for at least 360 yards in two games this season. He has compiled a tremendous 33-9 record against AFC North opponents, which includes a 9-2 mark over the last two seasons. The franchise is 10-2 during the regular season when playing inside Paul Brown Stadium, as it looks for its fifth consecutive win in the series.
Cincinnati has dropped back-to-back contests against the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns as a favorite, but the squad will now dress up as a home underdog for the first time this year. “We’ve missed opportunities two weeks in a row against teams we believed we should have been good enough to beat,” commented Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. The Bengals biggest problem has been turnover differential, as they enter this week with a minus-seven in that particular category. Cincinnati is 3-3 ATS as a home underdog of three points or less since 2010.
The Bengals have lost 10 of their 13 opportunities when playing on Sunday night, but only five of those contests have been played at home. Cincinnati has held Roethlisberger to a 87.9 passer rating in 17 meetings against him, but the team has tallied a disappointing 4-13 record in that situation. Second-year signal-caller Andy Dalton will try to improve on his numbers from a year ago in this series, as he completed 26-of-54 passes for 305 yards, while throwing three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Sports bettors will likely back the Steelers due to their 9-1 ATS mark following a straight-up loss, while the Bengals are 0-6-2 ATS versus AFC North opponents.
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