The Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will offer online football betting fans a new installment of their storied rivalry on Sunday, September 18th at Heinz Field. The odds for the game at BetNow football betting site are:
Bengals +3½ (-120) 48 (-110)
Steelers -3½ (EV) 48 (-110)
The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the New York Jets 23-22 for the first time in 10 trips to the MetLife Stadium in their 2016 season opener. Cinci starting QB Andy Dalton completed 23 of 30 passes for 366 yards with one TD and one interception, including a touchdown pass to wide receiver A.J. Green – who had 12 catches for 180 yards – but it was Mike ‘Ted’ Nugent’s 47-yard field goal with less than a minute on the clock and an interception by cornerback Josh Shaw in the dying seconds that secured the victory for the Bengals. The Bengals took the lead in the third quarter when running back Jeremy Hill plowed through the middle for a 12-yard touchdown run. The drive was aided by wide receiver Brandon LaFell’s 49-yard reception over Marcus Williams on third-and-18. On the downside, Dalton was sacked a career-high seven times (the Jets’ defensive tackles: “we’re going platinum selling rhymes/we sacked Dalton seven times!”).
The Steelers came from behind to an eventually cushy 38-16 win over the Washington Redskins in week 1. Pittsburgh QB Roethlisberger threw 27 of 37 for 300 passing yards, including a couple of TD passes to wide receivers Antonio Brown and Eli Rogers. Brown played mostly opposite to Josh Norman and made cornerback Bashaud Breeland’s existence a living hell, making eight catches for 126 yards. The Redskins led 6-0 in the first quarter, but Roethlisberger guided Pittsburgh 87 yards down the field, capping off the drive with a 29-yard TD pass to Brown on a fourth-and-1 call from the Washington 29. The next time he got the ball, Big Ben led the Steelers 67 yards on 14 plays.
As online football betting spreads go, this one is as close as it gets. Both teams are dealing with suspensions and injuries. The Steelers’ running back Le’Veon Bell and the Bengals’ outside LB Vontaze Burfict are serving ongoing suspensions. Additionally, Pittsburgh’s inside LB Ryan Shazier sustained a knee injury against the Redskins – though it doesn’t appear to be serious – and Cinci’s tight end Tyler Eifert is still struggling with an ankle injury suffered in last year’s Pro Bowl. Bengals running back Giovani Bernard is neither suspended nor injured, but was inconspicuous against the Jets, with only 25 yards on five carries and five on two receptions. Cincinnati will have to put Bernard and Hill to much better use on Sunday. In theory this should not present being problem, them being one of the best RB duos in the league. Online football betting may be interested to know that the Steelers have dominated the rivalry in the 2010’s, winning the last two encounters for a 10-3 record. Historically, Pittsburgh is ahead 58-35 in the all-time series.
