Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be shooting for a fifth consecutive straight-up win at Heinz Field as they host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in a Week 2 matchup between AFC North rivals.

The Steelers tallied a 38-16 win over Washington on Monday, covering as 2.5-point road favorites to improve to 8-3 SU in their past 11 games, but they are 1-2 SU in Cincinnati's past three visits.

The Bengals overcame a ferocious Jets defense in last week's 23-22 win in New York, but haven't recorded back-to-back SU wins since Week 13 of last season and are winless against the spread in their past three outings.

Point spread: The Steelers opened as 3.5-point favorites. The total was 47.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 23.9-16.5 Steelers (NFL picks on every game)

Why the Bengals can cover the spread

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton returned to duty following last December's season-ending injury, throwing for 366 yards and one score against New York, but was sacked seven times. Cincinnati's defense chipped in with an interception in the final minute to seal last week's win, but had a busy day containing a grinding Jets offense that dominated possession time.

Cincinnati has dropped five of six SU against the Steelers, going 4-1-1 ATS, and has averaged fewer than 16 points per game in its past 12 games against its divisional rival. However, the club's road warrior reputation is well earned after going 7-2 SU and 8-0-1 ATS in their past nine away contests.

Why the Steelers can cover the spread

The Steelers started slow in Washington before exploding for 24 unanswered points, scoring on four of their first five second-half possessions. Pittsburgh has produced mixed results at home against the Bengals, going 2-2 SU in their past four meetings, according to the OddsShark NFL Database, while being held to 10 points on two occasions.

Ben Roethlisberger found the end zone three times against the Redskins, but it is the Steelers' ground game that could give them the edge against a Cincinnati defense that ranked 28th against the rush last season. Plus, the Steelers are 56-35 all-time against the Bengals.

Smart pick

Low scoring has been the norm when these two teams clash, with the total finishing under in seven of the past 10 meetings. However, with a healthy Dalton and Roethlisberger coming off solid Week 1 performances that trend could change.

Cincinnati needs another standout performance from A.J. Green, who tallied 180 receiving yards, and more efficiency from a defense that spent almost 35 minutes on the field against the Jets.

Coming off their biggest win since a 45-10 rout of Indianapolis in Week 13, the Steelers' offense is firing on all cylinders, but the defense will need to improve after surrendering 329 passing yards in Washington. Look for Pittsburgh to win and cover in an uncharacteristically high-scoring affair.

Betting trends

The Bengals are 1-5 SU in their last six games against the Steelers.

The Bengals are 5-14-1 ATS in their last 20 games against the Steelers.

The Steelers are 4-0 SU in their last four games at home.

All NFL betting lines and point spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.