Week 9 brings us a lot of pretty good games around the NFL, but there’s the potential for Bears-Steelers to surprise some people.
Pittsburgh is coming off of three consecutive wins, the latter of which came against the Cleveland Browns when the Steelers didn’t even have their kicker for the second half.
The Bears, meanwhile, are still hungry to snap their three-game losing streak and have one of the best rookie quarterbacks in the league.
The Steelers started out the season at 1-3, and it looked all but hopeless for them unless the offense made an immediate improvement. Fortunately for them, Ben Roethlisberger has five touchdown passes and zero interceptions during this three-game winning streak, and with better protection, the offense has been able to move the ball.
That includes running back Najee Harris, who has at least 90 yards rushing in two of his last three games with 2 combined touchdowns. He’s really come alive as the line has gotten more stable.
Pittsburgh’s defense was able to hold Cleveland to just 10 points last Sunday and got a crucial turnover in the fourth quarter to help win the game.
The Bears, as mentioned already, are on a three-game losing streak after starting 3-2 and are desperately looking for a win to get back into the playoff chase. Fields has had some growing pains at times this season, but that’s the case for any rookie quarterback that comes into the league.
There are plenty of interesting bets to look into in what could be a sneaky good matchup on Monday night.
Please note that all NFL gameday odds and lines are current as of 10:00 a.m. ET on Friday, November 5.
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Bears vs Steelers Prop Bets: NFL Week 9 Prop Betting Picks
Bears +6.5 (-114) at Unibet
Wager: 1.5 Units
I have to say I was definitely surprised to see the spread so large in this one. Yes, the Steelers are riding three straight wins, but they’ve all been very close games.
Two of those three victories have come by five or fewer points, with one of them being against Geno Smith‘s Seattle Seahawks. That game was once 14-0 at halftime until Seattle took Pittsburgh to OT and eventually lost.
Victories are never easy for the Steelers, especially against inferior teams. They’ve been a lot better in recent years about winning those games, but they still tend to play down to their competition.
Khalil Herbert has come into his own this season as a rookie and could pose problems for Pittsburgh’s defense. He has four consecutive games of 72+ yards rushing with 1 touchdown. He’s looking like he could potentially be a long-term starter, especially with the way he’s able to break tackles and burst in the open field.
Justin Fields still needs a little bit of work as a passer, but he’s also very dangerous with his legs. He has 243 yards on the ground with 2 touchdowns on 5.5 yards per carry. He also has the ability to escape pressure flawlessly, which was evident against the 49ers last Sunday.
In his touchdown run, he was able to sidestep almost half of that defense, reverse course on the field, and then find a lane to score. His vision is only going to continue to get better as he matures.
The Bears may not win this game, but they’re going to keep it close and their rushing attack is a big reason for that.
Under 40 Points (-127) at Unibet
Wager: 1 Unit
Even though the Steelers have had two of their last three games go for 43 or more combined points, the trend from Sunday’s game against Cleveland has me thinking that won’t happen again for this one. Pittsburgh has one of the best defenses in football, and both Cameron Heyward and TJ Watt are having monstrous seasons.
The Bears’ rushing attack definitely scares me, but they also haven’t been able to finish drives. They’re the second lowest-scoring team in the league (15.4 points per game), and with how Pittsburgh’s unit did against Cleveland (who has better talent), I’m not sure Chicago will be able to top 20+.
That’s the main reason I’m taking the Under in this game. Even though Fields can run (and has hit some beautiful throws this season mixed in with a lot of bad), they aren’t resulting in touchdown drives.
Pittsburgh’s offense has also been lethargic for a large chunk of this season as well, despite being better as of late. This has the makings of a 20-16, or a 20-17 kind of finish.
With those things combined, it makes it even harder for the Over to hit, making this our NFL bet of the day.
Bears Under 7.5 First-Half Points (-155) at Unibet
Wager: 1.25 Units
This one may look a bit weird, but it’s only because of that vaunted Pittsburgh defense. In the Steelers’ last three games, they’ve given up 9 combined first-half points.
A lot of that has to do with how well the defense is starting games. The unit is not allowing the opposition to do much of anything. The problems have surfaced mainly in the second half when the offense is out there for only a couple of minutes, which leads to the defense getting exhausted.
That happened consistently in the games against Seattle and Denver, which made them closer than they should’ve been. Granted, Pittsburgh had its worst tackling performance of the season against Seattle, though that looks to be an outlier in that regard.
With how the Bears have struggled on offense this season, they’re going to be up a creek trying to score over a touchdown in the first half.
Thanks for reading our NFL Week 9 Bears vs Steelers Prop Bets! For more NFL Week 9 betting tips and tipster picks, check out our NFL Week 9 Best Bets and NFL Week 9 Prop Bets.
