Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns Prediction, 1/3/2021 NFL Pick, Tips and Odds, Week 17

Game: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns

Date: Sunday, January 3, 2021

Location: FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH

TV: CBS

Odds/Point Spread: Cleveland -7.5

Total/Over-Under: 45.5

Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns (10-5) play the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3) at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday, January 3, 2021. Pittsburgh opens this game as 7.5-point dogs. The over/under opens at 45.5.

The Pittsburgh Steelers head into this matchup 12-3 for this season. In their last contest they played the Indianapolis Colts and notched a win by a score of 28-24. Ben Roethlisberger went 34/49 with 342 yards passing and threw 3 TD's. He finished the game without throwing an interception. James Conner led the team in rushing for that contest. He had a long run of 12 yards and he notched 1 TD during the game. He rushed for 20 yards by way of 5 carries which meant he averaged 4.0 yards per carry. JuJu Smith-Schuster was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 96 yards on 9 catches. He earned an average of 10.7 yards per reception for that contest. The Pittsburgh Steelers rushed the ball a total of 14 times and racked up a total of 20 yards which had them averaging 1.4 yards per carry. On the day, they ran 64 plays which added up to 353 yards. For the game, the Steelers racked up 26 first downs and they totaled 6 penalties for 49 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Pittsburgh allowed 22 catches on 35 attempts totaling 238 yards, and a completion percentage of 63.0%. Against the run, the Steelers allowed 127 yards on 28 tries which gave them an average of 4.5 yards per rushing attempt allowed. On the day, they gave up a total of 365 yards and earned 2 takeaways.

The Steelers have racked up 4,959 total yards this season. Offensively they're maintaining an average of 84.3 yards in the run game which is 32nd in the National Football League. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, Pittsburgh has compiled 33 touchdowns via the pass and 12 touchdowns via the ground. Concerning putting the ball in the endzone, the Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting at 26.3 points per game. When talking about yards via the pass, the Steelers have allowed 2,944 yards which puts them in 2nd in the NFL. During the season, they are granting 302.3 yards/outing ranking them 2nd in the National Football League. The Steelers rank 2nd in the league regarding their opponents scoring, conceding 19.2 PPG. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.2 yards per rush on the ground and 106.1 rushing yards per contest for the year. During their 15 games, they have given up 196.3 yards per outing through the air as well as giving up a completion percentage of 56.4%. For the year, they have given up 1,591 running yards through 15 games.

The Browns come into this game with a record of 10-5 for this season. The last time they took the field they faced the New York Jets and took the loss by a score of 23-16. Nick Chubb led the team in rushing for that game. He broke a long run for 16 yards and he tallied 1 touchdown in the game. He scurried for 28 yards via 11 carries which meant he averaged 2.5 yards per run. Austin Hooper was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 71 yards on 7 catches. He earned an average of 10.1 yards per catch for that game. Baker Mayfield went 28/53 with 285 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Cleveland Browns ended up rushing 18 times and added 45 yards earning them an average of 2.5 yards per attempt. Overall, the Browns earned 23 first downs and they had 6 penalties for 51 yards. Overall, they ran 75 plays which added up to 299 yards. When discussing the defense, Cleveland allowed 17 catches on 33 attempts for a total of 202 yards, and a completion percentage of 52.0%. For the game, they conceded 333 yards but didn't force any takeaways. Against the run, the Browns allowed 131 yards on 34 tries which gave them an average of 3.9 yards per carry allowed.

Over the course of the season so far, the Browns have compiled 3,373 yards through the air together with holding an average of 224.9 passing yards per contest, ranking them 24th out of all NFL teams. The Cleveland Browns have an average of 370.3 yards/contest ranking them 16th out of all teams in the NFL. They maintain an average of 145.5 yards per game on the ground and have run for 2,182 yards for the season. When it comes to how much they score, the Browns rank 14th out of all teams in the NFL averaging 25.6 points per contest. The Browns are ranked 21st in the league in relation to team defense, conceding 26.5 points per game. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.3 yards per running attempt and 112.5 rushing yards per contest this season. During this campaign, they have given up 1,688 running yards through 15 games. When talking about passing yards, the Browns have surrendered 3,653 yards which ranks them 20th in the league. Over the course of their 15 games, they have yielded 243.5 yards per outing via the pass as well as conceding a completion percentage of 63.8%. For the year, they have relinquished 356.1 yards per game ranking them 17th in the National Football League.

Who will win tonight's Steelers/Browns NFL game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Steelers +7.5

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