Bengals vs Steelers -5.5 O/U 49
🏈 Game Context
- Date/Time: Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
- Location: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
- Broadcast: CBS
📊 Team Records & Stakes
- Steelers: 5-4, currently first in the AFC North despite losing 3 of their last 4 games.
- Bengals: 3-6, desperate for a win to stay in the playoff hunt. A victory would make them 3-0 in the division and just one game behind Pittsburgh.
🔥 Quarterback Matchup
- Joe Flacco (Bengals): At 40, making his 200th career start. He led Cincinnati to a 33-31 win over Pittsburgh in Week 7.
- Aaron Rodgers (Steelers): At 41, coming off his worst game of the season against the Chargers. He’s looking to bounce back and stabilize Pittsburgh’s offense.
📈 Key Stats
- Bengals Offense: Ranked 22nd overall, 13th in passing, but dead last in rushing.
- Bengals Defense: Ranked 32nd across the board — worst in the league.
- Steelers Offense: Ranked 29th overall, struggling in both run (30th) and pass (23rd).
- Steelers Defense: Stronger against the run (14th) but vulnerable against the pass (32nd).
🔑 What to Watch For
- Turnovers: Steelers have a +6 turnover differential, while the Bengals sit at -5.
- QB Duel: Flacco vs. Rodgers is a rare “Battle of the Ages” — both over 40, both still slinging.
- Division Impact: A Bengals win tightens the AFC North race dramatically; a Steelers win solidifies their lead.
Prediction:
- This should be a fun AFC North game with two teams that really do not have a chance to win the division.
- The Steelers are a bit fraudulent, and here is why.
- In a bad NFL year of many below average teams, Pittsburgh ranks 20th in offensive EPA and 22nd on defense. These numbers do not match their 5-4 record.
- The Bengals have been quite piss poor when it comes to defense, this team is dead last in defensive EPA and 19th on offense.
- The reason that I like the Bengals to cover here is that their offense has been flowing much better since Joe Flacco came aboard.
- Since week eight, this team ranks 4th in offensive EPA while the Steelers rank 31st. The recent play is very much the tell.
- The weather looks like it could get pretty windy in the steel city. Both teams may have to run the ball. The Bengals rank 3rd rush EPA to the Steelers who rank a modest 15th. The Bengals do give up more rushing yards, but stacking the box could be a game changer. A push here at best.
- I know that many people will look at this as a “revenge” spot for the Steelers from their heartbreaking loss earlier this season, but the Bengals are coming off the bye week. Joe Burrow is almost ready to come in and potentially save this team into a wildcard spot.
- I expect max effort from our friends in Cincinnati. Take the cats.
Bengals + 5.5 – 2 stars
