The NFL Playoffs are here and the final matchup on the NFL betting board for Wildcard Weekend is a Week 17 rematch between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Although the Browns won that previous game they are installed as 4-point pups against the Steelers in their first postseason contest in 18 years.
We break down the NFL odds with our best NFL Wildcard picks and predictions for the Browns vs. Steelers on Sunday, January 10 with kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Preview
Weather
It's expected to be a cool but clear night at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh with temperatures at 35 degrees and a zero percent chance of precipitation. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NFL weather info.
Key Injuries
Browns: Donovan Peoples-Jones WR (Questionable), Sheldon Richardson DT (Questionable), Jack Conklin T (Questionable), JC Tretter C (Questionable), Wyatt Teller G (Questionable), Denzel Ward CB (Out), M.J. Stewart CB (Questionable), Greedy Williams CB (Questionable), Harrison Bryant TE (Questionable), Malcolm Smith LB (Questionable), Kevin Stefanski HC (Out), Joel Bitonio G (Out), KhaDarel Hodge WR (Out), Olivier Vernon DE (Out), Odell Beckham Jr. WR (Out), Ronnie Harrison S (Out).
Steelers: Chris Boswell K (Probable), JuJu Smith-Schuster WR (Questionable), Joe Haden CB (Questionable), Eric Ebron TE (Probable), Robert Spillane LB (Out), Bud Dupree LB (Out), Devin Bush LB (Out), Matt Feiler T (Questionable), Zach Banner T (Out), Isaiah Buggs DE (Questionable), Steven Nelson CB (Probable), Vince Williams LB (Probable).
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Browns are 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games on the road. Find more NFL betting trends for Browns vs. Steelers.
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
The Browns may have beaten the Steelers in Week 17, but Pittsburgh was resting several of their best players, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and NFL sack leader T.J. Watt. Despite needing a win to make the playoffs, the Browns had difficulty putting away the Steelers, who were just a failed two-point conversion away from tying the game late in the fourth quarter.
That's not a good sign for the Browns, who will now be facing a rested Steelers team that looks more like the squad that hammered them 38-7 earlier this season.
While the Browns dominant running game should be able to churn out yards on the ground, Baker Mayfield and the passing game have been wildly inconsistent. Expect them to struggle to move the ball downfield against a Steelers defense that ranks No. 1 in the league in passing DVOA, per Football Outsiders.
Meanwhile, the Browns pass defense ranks just 25th in the league in DVOA and allowed Mason Rudolph to throw for 315 yards a week ago. If wideouts Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson could burn the Browns last week, they should be able to do similar damage with Roethlisberger tossing the ball.
And don't underestimate the advantage of playoff experience with the Steelers in the postseason for the ninth time under head coach Mike Tomlin, and having gone 7-2 ATS in their last nine playoff games at home. Take Pittsburgh to win and cover.
PREDICTION: Pittsburgh -4 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
The Over/Under for this game is set at 47.5, a total that the Steelers have gone below in eight of their last nine games. Meanwhile, the Browns have gone below that number in three straight contests.
Cleveland has really stepped up on the defensive side of the ball after an ugly start to their season. The Browns ranked 29th in the league after their first seven games with 31.6 points per game allowed, but over their final nine contests, they held foes to just 22.1 ppg.
Although the Browns have shown improvement on D, they're still not quite as dominant as Pittsburgh. The Steelers have a terrific stop-unit that leads the league in sacks and QB pressures, ranks second in takeaways and third in scoring defense with 19.5 ppg.
With the Under going 5-1-1 in Pittsburgh's last 7 games as a favorite back it again.
PREDICTION: Under 47.5 (-110)
First Half Bet
Pittsburgh ranks a respectable 12th in the league in first-half scoring, putting up 12.5 points per game during the first 30 minutes. But that number has plummeted over its last four games with the Steelers averaging just 5.0 first-half ppg over that span.
Cleveland has been very tough on defense in the early going, ranking eighth in the league by holding foes to 11.1 ppg through the first two quarters—and it's improved that number to an incredible 7.6 ppg over its last nine games.
With Pittsburgh's first-half team total set at 13.5, side with the recent trends for both teams and take the Under.
PREDICTION: First Half team total Pittsburgh Under 13.5 (-120)
Browns vs Steelers Betting Card
- Pittsburgh -4 (-110)
- Under 47.5 (-110)
- First Half team total Pittsburgh Under 13.5 (-120)
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