Sunday, December 18, 2016

Paul Brown Stadium

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The Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, December 18, 2016 at Paul Brown Stadium. The opening line for this game has Pittsburgh as 3 point favorites and the over/under was set at 45. The Steelers are 8-5-0 against the spread and their over/under record is 4-9-0. The Bengals have an over/under record of 6-7-0 and they are 5-8-0 against the spread.

Ben Roethlisberger finished with 220 yards through the air for Pittsburgh last week. He completed 17 passes out of 31 attempts for a 55% completion percentage. The Steelers were led in rushing by Le'Veon Bell, who finished with 236 yards on 38 rushes. He ended the contest with an average of 6 yards per carry. Antonio Brown was the team leader in receiving with a total of 78 yards and 5 receptions. He finished the game with an average of 16 yards per reception. As a team in that game Pittsburgh got a total of 24 first downs. Of those first downs, 14 came on the ground while 9 came through the air. They ran 73 total plays for 460 yards for the game. The Steelers ran for 240 yards on 42 attempts.

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Andy Dalton finished with 180 yards passing for Cincinnati last week. He went 20 for 28, resulting in a 71% completion percentage. The Bengals were led on the ground by Jeremy Hill, who finished with 111 yards on 25 carries. He ended the game with an average of 4 yards per rush. Tyler Boyd led the team in receiving with 49 yards and 6 catches. He finished the game with an average of 8 yards per reception. Cincinnati had 21 first downs total. 9 came from running the ball and 12 came from a pass. They ran 70 total plays for 360 yards for the contest. The Bengals ran for 213 yards on 38 carries as a team.

Pittsburgh scores 24 points per game on offense this season, which ranks 12th in the NFL. In the passing department, they average 24 passes on 38 attempts for a 63% completion percentage this season. They throw for a total of 261 yards per game through the air as well, which ranks them 7th in the league. The Steelers run for an average of 113 yards per game on 25 attempts for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. That ranks them 9th in the league. They also run 64 plays per contest and average 5.8 yards per play for an average of 374 yards per game, ranking their offense 7th overall this season. The Steelers average 20 first downs per game which ranks them 14th in the NFL. They accumulate 67.4 penalty yards per game via 7.1 penalties, which ranks 10th in the league.

Pittsburgh allows 253 passing yards per game, ranking 21st, and they allow 20 points per contest on defense, which ranks 9th. They give up 24 completions on 37 attempts per game for a completion percentage of 65%. The Steelers allow 90 rushing yards per game on 22 carries for an average of 4.1 yards per carry, which ranks their rush defense 5th in the NFL. Pittsburgh allows 343 total yards per game including 5.6 yards per play, which ranks their overall defense 11th in terms of yards per game. They get flagged for 6.8 penalties for 54 yards per game, ranking them 15th among NFL teams.

Cincinnati averages 21 points per game this season on offense, which ranks them 23rd in the league. In the passing department, they complete 23 passes per game on 36 attempts for a 64% completion percentage. They throw for 256 yards through the air per game, ranking them 11th. The Bengals run for an average of 115 yards per game on 28 attempts for an average of 4.1 yards per carry this season, which ranks them 8th on the ground. They also run 66 plays per game and average 5.6 yards per play for a total of 371 yards per game, ranking them 9th in the league on offense. The Bengals get an average of 22 first downs per game, which ranks 12th. They average 43.1 penalty yards per game via 5.5 penalties, ranking them 30th in the NFL.

Cincinnati allows an average of 238 passing yards per game, which ranks 12th in the league. Their defense overall allows 21 points per contest, which has them ranked 11th. They give up 23 completions on 37 attempts for a completion percentage of 62% per game. The Bengals allow 119 rushing yards per contest on 26 carries for a 4.6 average per rush, ranking their overall rush defense 25th in the NFL. Cincinnati allows 357 total yards per game for an average of 5.5 yards per play, which ranks 20th in the league. They force 7 penalties for 60 yards in each contest, ranking 16th.

Pittsburgh Betting Trends

Pittsburgh is 4-9-0 against the over/under this season

Pittsburgh has an ATS record of 8-5-0 this season

Cincinnati Betting Trends

Cincinnati is 6-7-0 against the over/under this season

Cincinnati has an ATS record of 5-8-0 this season

Injuries to Watch

Pittsburgh

12/11/16 WR Darrius Heyward-Bey Foot "?" Sunday vs. Cincinnati
12/11/16 RB DeAngelo Williams Knee "?" Sunday vs. Cincinnati
12/11/16 DT Javon Hargrave Concussion "?" Sunday vs. Cincinnati
12/11/16 S Shamarko Thomas Concussion "?" Sunday vs. Cincinnati
12/11/16 S Mike Mitchell Knee injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Cincinnati
12/11/16 G Ramon Foster Chest "?" Sunday vs. Cincinnati
11/19/16 DE Cameron Heyward Pectoral IR
11/19/16 WR Markus Wheaton Shoulder IR
11/15/16 LB Steven Johnson Ankle IR
11/08/16 C Cody Wallace Knee IR
10/08/16 T Ryan Harris Shin IR
10/08/16 CB Senquez Golson Foot IR
08/17/16 QB Bruce Gradkowski Hamstring IR
08/11/16 WR Martavis Bryant Suspension out for season

Cincinnati

12/11/16 DE Wallace Gilberry Calf "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
12/11/16 TE C.J. Uzomah Calf "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
12/11/16 DE Carlos Dunlap Neck injured last game, "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
12/11/16 S Derron Smith Thigh "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
12/11/16 WR James Wright Knee "?" Sunday vs. Pittsburgh
11/21/16 WR A.J. Green Hamstring out indefinitely
11/21/16 HB Giovani Bernard ACL out for season
08/31/16 DT Andrew Billings Knee IR
08/31/16 DT Brandon Thompson Knee PUP
08/31/16 HB Cedric Peerman Forearm out indefinitely

Tony's Pick: Take Pittsburgh -3

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