The Pittsburgh Steelers will play their Week 13 game on the road Monday night against the Cincinatti Bengals and as you would probably expect, the visiting team is favored to win the contest. According to vegasinsider.com, the 9-2 Steelers opened as 6.5 road favorites over the 5-6 Bengals.
The Bengals, who are now on a two-game winning streak following them beating the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns the last two weeks, are currently the No. 8 seed in the AFC heading into Week 13. They scored a total of 50 points in those two wins while only allowing 33 points. They are, however, 2-2 in the four divisional games that they’ve already played with one loss coming at the hands of the Steelers back in Week 7 and another to the Baltimore Ravens to open the regular season.
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton enters Week 13 with a 92.5 quarterback rating thanks to him completing 62% of his total pass attempts on the season for 2,372 yards and 18 touchdowns. Dalton, however, has thrown 8 interceptions so far this season and has been sacked 28 times in total.
As you would expect, wide receiver A.J. Green leads the Bengals in receptions entering Week 13. The veteran pass catcher has registered 53 receptions for 809 yards and six touchdowns on the season. Rookie running back Joe Mixon is currently the Bengals leading rusher entering the Monday night tilt against the Steelers. Mixon, who was drafted this year by the Bengals in the second-round, has rushed for 484 yards and four touchdowns on 150 total carries so far this season.
Defensively for the Bengals, rookie defensive end Carl Lawson currently leads the team in sacks with 7 quarterback take-downs and defensive tackle Geno Atkins isn’t far behind him with 6.5 of his own. Linebacker Nick Vigil leads the Bengals in total tackles entering Week 13 and fellow linebacker Vontaze Burfict is in second place with 60. Severn different Bengals players are tied for the team lead in interceptions with one each and that includes cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, who leads the team in total passes defensed with 8.
In the Steelers 29-14 home win over the Bengals earlier this season, Dalton completed 17 of his 30 total pass attempts in the game for 140 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Bengals offense only managed to register 179 total yards in that loss to the Steelers with 71 of then coming via runs. Their offense, however, only netted 19 total yards in the second half and Dalton was sacked four times in total during the game.
Also in that Steelers win, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 14 of his 24 total pass attempts for 224 yards and two touchdowns while running back Le’Veon Bell rushed for 134 yards on 35 carries. Roethlisberger’s two scoring tosses in that game went to wide receivers Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Steelers kicker Chris Boswell had five field goals in that Week 7 win with his longest coming from 49-yards out.
Including one playoff meeting, the Steelers have won 8 of their last nine games against the Bengals with their only loss coming in 2015 at Heinz Field. The Bengals last win over the Steelers in Cincinnati came in 2013, however. In his 29 total starts against the Bengals, including two playoff games, Roethlisberger is 22-7. Additionally, Roethlisberger is 13-2 all-time against the Bengals in games played in Cincinnati and that once again includes two playoff contests.
The over/under for the Monday night game is currently 43-points at most online and Las Vegas sportsbooks and that’s the exact number that it opened at.
