Admin January 4, 2025
Aaron Rodgers acknowledged that Sunday could be his last NFL game
Aaron Rodgers discusses the possibility of Sunday being his last NFL game.
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The Cincinnati Bengals have to win in Week 18 to have any chance to make the postseason. They have drawn a tough opponent in the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers have already qualified for the postseason and may be out of the running for the AFC North title by the time play begins in the second Saturday game. That said, Pittsburgh still has an incentive to win, as a victory would guarantee them the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture and allow them to avoid a tough matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.
Pittsburgh already beat Cincinnati head-to-head in Week 13. The game was a 44-38 shootout, and there’s little doubt that bettors – who prefer betting the over to the under – will be hoping for a similar result in the Week 18 clash.
What are the best bets for the Steelers vs. Bengals game? Here are the top prop bets and touchdown scorers to back in the AFC North clash.
NFL best bets tonight: Steelers vs. Bengals
All odds are via BetMGM as of Friday.
Russell Wilson OVER 1.5 passing touchdowns (-110)
Everyone will be focused on backing Joe Burrow in this game, but what about his opponent? Wilson threw three touchdowns in the first meeting between these two teams and should be positioned for another quality outing.
The Bengals have allowed six of their last seven opponents to pass for multiple touchdowns against them. The lone team that didn’t was the Cleveland Browns, who were starting Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The Browns are averaging 4.5 points per game in DTR’s two starts, so it’s safe to call that an outlier fluke among the trends.
Cincinnati has surrendered 29 passing touchdowns to quarterbacks this season, which is good for the fourth-most in the NFL. Expect Wilson to be the latest to throw for multiple touchdowns in the game as the Steelers go all-out to end their three-game losing streak and enter the playoffs on a positive note.
Chase Brown UNDER 65.5 rushing yards (-110)
Brown has enjoyed a breakout second season with the Bengals, becoming a true workhorse back and a three-down threat. However, it won’t be easy to trust him in this matchup for two reasons.
First, the Steelers have allowed just 100.6 rushing yards per game this season, which is good for the seventh-fewest in the NFL. They rank just 11th in rushing yards allowed to running backs in 2024, but the fact remains that Pittsburgh is a strong run defense.
The other major factor is that Brown is coming off an ankle injury that prevented him from playing the end of Cincinnati’s must-win game against the Denver Broncos in Week 17. He is questionable to play in Week 18, but it isn’t clear whether he will be at 100% after suffering the ankle sprain – if he suits up at all. Even if he does, his injury will impact his speed and ability to create chunk plays on the ground.
Add in that the Bengals could get pass-happy if they’re trailing, and this looks like a good spot to fade Brown.
Ja’Marr Chase OVER 92.5 receiving yards (-115)
The Steelers don’t have many defensive weaknesses, but they have allowed the 10th-most receiving yards to wide-outs this season. That bodes well for Chase, who already enjoyed an 86-yard game against Pittsburgh earlier in the season.
Over his last four games, Chase has logged no less than 94 receiving yards and is averaging a whopping 117.5 yards and 13 targets per game during that span. He is Burrow’s favorite weapon, so as long as he continues getting that type of volume, he will be a threat to go over 100 yards again.
If you’re looking for another Bengals receiving bet, going over on Tee Higgins or Mike Gesicki‘s reception totals could be a solid option. The Steelers may look to contain Chase as much as possible which could open the short-to-intermediate part of the field for the big-bodied weapons.
Mike Gesicki anytime TD (+310)
Chase and Higgins will always be the top-tier players to back when looking at potential touchdown scorers, but if you’re looking for a good value, Gesicki qualifies. The seven-year veteran is coming off one of the best games of his career, during which he was targeted 12 times and made 10 catches for 86 yards.
Gesicki might not have that type of massive performance again, but with Brown banged up, he may get more short targets from Burrow. He also could end up being the third option in the red zone and a good safety valve on plays where Chase and Higgins are well covered.
Gesicki has logged three of his nine red-zone targets over his last five games, including one against the Steelers. Again, he may not get the scoring volume that Chase and Higgins get, but at +310 odds, he’s a risk worth taking against a Steelers defense that has allowed seven touchdowns to tight ends this year (eighth-most in the NFL).
