The Cincinnati Bengals still have a chance to clinch a postseason berth, and they head to Acrisure Stadium to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC North clash on Saturday, January 4.
My Bengals vs. Steelers predictions and NFL picks look at a running back from each club and are also calling for a tidy showing from Cincy star quarterback Joe Burrow.
Bengals vs Steelers props
- Jaylen Warren Over 8.5 rushing attempts (-139 at BetMGM)
- Chase Brown Under 70.5 rushing yards (-115 at BetMGM)
- Joe Burrow Over 25.5 passing completions (-133 at BetMGM)
Read full analysis of each pick.
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Bengals vs Steelers props
Prop bet #1: Jaylen Warren Over 8.5 rushing attempts
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren has played more offensive snaps than backfield mate Najee Harris in four consecutive games, and Warren has put in consecutive full practices to end the week after opening as a limited participant with a rib injury Tuesday.
While the Steelers aren’t going to abandon the committee rushing attack, there needs to be more than enough carries to go around for Warren to split time and still handle nine or more totes.
He’s handled nine or more carries in eight of his past 10 games, including hitting double-digit rushes in each of the past two.
Additionally, Warren has also shown off as the superior Pittsburgh rusher with higher yards per attempt and yards after contact per attempt, and he’s handled five red-zone rushes the past two games. Harris, on the other hand, hasn’t received a single red-zone handoff since Week 15.
Prop bet #2: Chase Brown Under 70.5 rushing yards
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game and missed the entire week of practice after sustaining a mild right high-ankle sprain against the Denver Broncos last Saturday, so there’s obviously potential he doesn’t play.
I expect Brown to suit up for Cincy with the season on the line, and while I’m obviously not rooting for an aggravation of a preexisting injury, this was already a lofty total to clear.
Brown rushed for 70 yards on 12 carries against the Steelers in Week 13, but a 40-yard rush accounted for the bulk. He rushed for just 2.72 yards per carry on his other 11 totes.
Additionally, the Pittsburgh defense held the Philadelphia Eagles to 3.27 yards per rush and the Kansas City Chiefs to 2.76 yards per rush in recent weeks.
This isn’t a cakewalk matchup for the Cincy ground game, and especially for a rusher who is nursing an injury.
Prop bet #3: Joe Burrow Over 25.5 passing completions
While the Pittsburgh defense has held up against the rush, the Steelers have been gashed through the air in recent weeks, and Cincy quarterback Joe Burrow has 26 or more passing completions in eight of his past nine games.
Additionally, if Brown is limited out of the backfield, the Bengals might opt to attack through the air even more.
Pittsburgh has allowed the third-highest completion percentage (70.3%) and fifth-highest dropback success rate (52.2%) the past five weeks, and Burrow also completed 28 of his 38 passing attempts (75.2%) against the Steelers in Week 13.
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