Steelers vs. Bengals Prediction & Odds: Thursday Night Football Opening Odds & Picks
The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers will lock horns at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Thursday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video), and my Bengals vs. Steelers prediction backs the home underdogs to keep things close.
The Steelers are a 5.5-point betting favorite, with my NFL picks doubting their ability to win comfortably on enemy terrain. It's the first time in five years that the Steelers have been more than a 3.5-point road favorite, and my NFL predictions for Week 7 explain why the line is just too much.
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🏈 Steelers vs. Bengals prediction & best bet
Stay ahead with the rest of our early NFL predictions for Week 7.
🐯 Bengals +5.5 (-104) ⭐⭐⭐
I'm wholly uncomfortable backing the Steelers as a 5.5-point road betting favorite. It's uncharted territory for Mike Tomlin's team since the start of last season, which hasn't been a favorite of more than 3.5 points on the road in five years.
They're laying 5.5 points on the road due to an impressive 4-1 record and the Bengals' complete ineptitude throughout most of the season.
I'm not intimating that quarterback Joe Flacco is the Bengals' savior. That would be like saying Aaron Rodgers will win MVP. However, Flacco can at least feed his superstar receivers, something Jake Browning failed miserably at.
Flacco had just four days to prepare for an away game in a hostile environment with his new employer against a Green Bay Packers team that is among the Super Bowl odds contenders.
After the 40-year-old settled in, at least somewhat, he and his Bengals outscored the Packers 18-17 in the second half. Yes, there were extenuating circumstances, but I saw enough to back the wily veteran to keep things close against a Steelers team that rarely wins comfortably.
The Steelers' first comfortable victory of the season came against the lowly Cleveland Browns on Sunday, whose offense still hasn't scored more than 17 points.
I know what you're thinking: Flacco was at the helm in four of the Browns' six anemic offensive outputs.
While that's a valid point, Flacco didn't have Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins at his disposal. Of the best sports betting sites, FanDuel's -104 odds represent the best value, where a winning $10 bet will yield a $9.62 profit.
📊 Steelers vs. Bengals odds: Thursday Night Football
Latest NFL odds updated live in real time.
📈 Steelers vs. Bengals opening odds
- Moneyline: Steelers +165 | Bengals -200
- Spread: Steelers +4.5 (-110) | Bengals -4.4 (-110)
- Over/Under: Over 46.5 (-110) | Under 46.5 (-110)
💡 Steelers vs. Bengals odds analysis
All of the best sports betting sites have the Bengals as the 5.5-point betting favorite, with bet365 providing the shortest odds (-111). FanDuel offers -118 odds for the Steelers at -5.5. That's the best indication the line might shift to -6 for the Steelers and +6 for the Bengals. I wouldn't play the bet if the line decreases to +5 or lower.
📺 How to watch Thursday Night Football
- Matchup: Steelers vs. Bengals
- When: Thursday, Oct. 16 @ 8:15 p.m. ET
- Where: Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati)
- TV: Prime Video
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