Some would say that a win for the Ravens as a huge favorite in the early game on Saturday renders the Saturday night game useless for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I would argue that is not the case, as Pittsburgh has incentive to win no matter what and so do the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals need a win and help to get into the playoffs. The Steelers need a win to give themselves the best chance during Wild Card Weekend. Also, make sure you head over to our Week 18 NFL Betting Hub for a look at all of our NFL betting content.

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How To Watch Bengals vs. Steelers

When: Saturday, January 4th at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA

Channel: ABC/ESPN/ESPN+

Bengals vs. Steelers Odds

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Friday, January 3rd. Look around for the best prices!

Moneyline: Bengals -135, Steelers +114

Spread: Bengals -2.5 (-108), Steelers +2.5 (-112)

Total: Over 47.5 (-112), Under 47.5 (-108)

Check out our Bengals vs. Steelers matchup page!

Bengals vs. Steelers Analysis

Whether or not the AFC North is up for grabs should be irrelevant to how the Steelers approach this game. With Baltimore nearly a three-touchdown favorite in the window right before this game, it seems tremendously unlikely that the division crown is available. However, there is real incentive for the Steelers to win, as a victory locks up the No. 5 seed and a date with the No. 4 Texans during Wild Card Weekend instead of the No. 3 Ravens, assuming the Chargers beat the Raiders.

Much has been made of the current losing streak for the Steelers – and make no mistake, they haven’t played well – but they’ve played the Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs. The Bengals, who have won four in a row, are 8-8 for a reason and need a win and a lot of playoff help for several reasons.

Joe Burrow is not one of those reasons, as he’s been terrific this season. Thanks in large part to Burrow and the league’s leading receiver Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals are seventh in EPA/play on offense, but they are fifth in Dropback EPA and second in Dropback Success Rate. The Steelers are below league average in most offensive categories and well below league average since Week 7 when Russell Wilson took over.

Cincinnati’s defense is the clear and obvious suspect as to why the playoff scenarios need to go exactly right in Week 18. This has been a bottom-five group throughout the year and they’re still just 16th in EPA/play over the last four weeks against the Cowboys, Titans, Browns, and Broncos. Suffice it to say that DC Lou Anarumo’s job security is the lowest it has ever been and a loss on Saturday could signal a very quick end to his tenure.

As for the Steelers, while it is not all doom and gloom if they lose on Saturday, questions will arise about their ability to truly beat playoff-caliber teams. Even in the 18-16 win over the Ravens, Pittsburgh was outgained by two yards per play (6.1 to 4.1) and had just 4.2 YPP against the Commanders.

Bengals vs. Steelers Player Props

Najee Harris Over 45.5 Rushing Yards (-115)

I would expect an enhanced workload for Harris, who has only had 28 carries over the last three games while the Steelers have mostly faced double-digit deficits. Harris has gone over this number in 10 of 12 games when getting at least 14 carries. He had 16 carries for 75 yards in the first meeting between the two teams, to go along with a season-high six receptions for 54 yards. He may be a huge part of the gameplan here.

Bengals vs. Steelers Pick

The Steelers had 520 yards and 7.9 YPP in the first meeting. The Bengals had 375 yards and 6.6 YPP. I don’t think we’ll see a 44-38 game here with decidedly worse weather conditions, but I think we will see Pittsburgh have success moving the football against a bad Bengals defense. While the Steelers likely won’t have the AFC North crown in play, playing a rusty Texans team instead of a third meeting with the Ravens has to be a priority.

Bet: Steelers +2.5 (-112)

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