Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3) at Cleveland Browns (10-5)
The Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Here’s our complete guide to Steelers Browns Bet Tips. Odds and lines for Steelers-Browns picks are from PointsBet, current as of Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
Steelers Browns Bet Tips
Odds & Betting Lines for Steelers-Browns Picks
- Against The Spread: Browns -10 (-110)/Steelers +10 (-110)
- Moneyline: Browns (-190)/Steelers (+360)
- Total: 42 — Over 42 (-121)/Under 42 (+100)
- Implied Team Totals: Browns 26, Steelers 16
The Steelers have clinched the NFC North last week following their victory over the Colts, which ended their three-game losing streak after opening the season 11-0. After the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the AFC’s only bye as the No. 1 seed, the Steelers do not have a lot to play for outside of postseason seeding.
Still, they can play spoiler for the Browns, who are 1-2 in their past three games and are likely in a must-win spot to get into the playoffs. At 10-5, they are in a five-way tie with the Ravens, Titans, Dolphins, and Colts with only four playoff spots to be had.
[esi cache="public" adrotate group="1" ttl="60"]
Steelers-Browns Key Injuries
Steelers
While the Steelers are not dealing with any new injuries of note, they have elected to bench QB Ben Roethlisberger for Week 17 against the Browns. This will have a major impact on Steelers-Browns picks.
This comes as a surprise to me as the Steelers could ultimately lock up the No. 2 seed this weekend. However, with the new postseason format, the No. 2 seed no longer gets a bye. Therefore, Pittsburgh HC Mike Tomlin would rather rest his elder QB1 for Wild Card weekend.
Mason Rudolph will draw the start in Roethlisberger’s absence. Rudolph is 5-3 in his career starts.
Roethlisberger may not be the only regular Steelers starter to sit. While there has been no official statement from the team, if they are sitting Roethlisberger, there is a good chance others will rest and/ or see limited snaps.
Browns
Last week, the Browns did not have WR Jarvis Landry, WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR KhaDarel Hodge, and WR Rashard Higgins for their jaw-dropping loss to the Jets. All four wideouts were placed on the reserve/ COVID list preceding the contest as they were deemed close-contacts.
Earlier this week, Browns HC Kevin Stefanski told reporters that the team will activate some or all of them ahead of the season finale against Pittsburgh should they continue to test negative for the coronavirus.
Steelers-Browns Players to Watch
Assuming key Steelers starters will rest or see limited snaps in Sunday’s pseudo meaningless (for Pittsburgh) tilt against the Browns, players that include WR James Washington could see an uptick in usage as a result.
The No. 4 receiver on the Steelers, Washington has accumulated a 30/392/5 stat line on 54 targets while appearing in 15 games this season. Although he scores sporadically, Washington has found the end zone two times in his past four games but is currently riding a two-game drought without a touchdown.
That could change on Sunday facing a suspect Cleveland secondary yielding the 13th-most passing yards per game (243.5) this season along with the fourth-most touchdowns (18) to the position.
Browns QB Baker Mayfield has led the Browns to a 10-5 record this season. However, despite the team’s impressive mark, Mayfield has been one of the more erratic signal-callers in the NFL in 2020.
While struggling early, Mayfield has really picked up the pace since Week 12. In his past five games, Mayfield has thrown for 258+ yards in all of them while posting three games with 297+ yards, including a pair of outings going north of 334. His two games with 300+ passing yards in Week 13 and 14 were his first two and only games going over 300 yards.
Mayfield has also accounted for 2+ total touchdowns in four of those five games, including four straight leading into last week’s collapse against the jets. However, while Mayfield struggled, he did not have his top four wide receivers as they were all placed on the reserve/COVID list shortly preceding Sunday’s Week 16 defeat.
With the Browns in a must-win spot to get into the playoffs, Mayfield must bounce back facing a Steelers team that he has only beaten one time in four tries. Mayfield has never thrown for more than 193 passing yards against the Steelers with a 7:4 TD/INT ratio in those four outings.
Steelers-Browns Weather Report
The weather at FirstEnergy Stadium calls for a partly cloudy afternoon at the time of kickoff with a 2% chance of precipitation.
The temperature is forecast at 33 degrees Fahrenheit with 6mph winds blowing South.
Steelers-Browns Picks & Bet Tips
BEST BET: Browns (-190)
In theory, the Browns should win this football game. I thought the same thing against the Jets last week and look what happened. However, this is a different scenario.
The Browns did not know that they would be down their top four reivers, forcing them to employ Marvin Hall, who was with the Lions a few weeks back, as their WR1, until the day before the game. If you ask me, that game against the Jets should have been postponed, but hey, I am not working out of 345 Park Ave, New York, NY ( the NFL’s league office).
The Steelers are also electing to rest Ben Roethlisberger. If Big Ben is sitting, there is a good chance that other key starters will too, which bodes well for Cleveland’s chances of winning at home.
While the Steelers’ defense is as stout as they come, they have been gashed by enemy running backs of late, surrendering north of 127 yards per game in their past three contests to the Bills, Bengals, and Colts. Although the Colts can run at the best of them, the other two teams are not exactly employing Gale Sayers and Marcus Allen in their backfields and still managed to have their way with Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, the Browns are averaging the fourth-most rushing yards per game (145.5) this season. They should run wild like Hulkamania in the 80s in Sunday’s win or go home tilt.
The Steelers are 1-3 straight up in their past four games, winning last week following a three-game slide.
The Browns are 5-2 SU in their past seven games while losing two of their past three outings, including last week to the Jets.
The Browns are 1-3 in their past four meetings with the Steelers with their last victory coming at home back in November of 2019.
[esi sportsbookgrid num=3 ttl=”0″]
CONSIDER: Browns -10 (-110)
The Browns should easily blow this game open facing a Steelers team that has not only played their best football in the past month, but they are also resting key starters.
Although you would think the Steelers would want to snap pout of it and build momentum entering postseason play while in the meantime, playing spoiler for the Browns, that is not the case. This shows me that the Steelers want Cleveland in the playoffs. That is bulletin board material for the Browns.
Facing Mason Rudolph on Sunday, the Browns pass rush should be able to get going and force turnovers. The Browns have 37 sacks, good for 10th most in the NFL. And while the Steelers are allowing a league-low 13 sacks this season, that is with Ben Roethlisberger under center. Rudolph will hold the ball too long and take a sack or force errant throws that could be picked.
The Steelers are 1-4 against the spread in their past five games, covering last week following four straight games failing to cover.
The Browns are 3-3 ATS in their past six-game, failing to cover in last week’s loss.
The Browns are 4-3-1 in their past eight meetings with the Steelers, failing to cover in two straight.
The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings between these two clubs. In this case, the Browns are at home.
PASS: Under 42 (+100)
I will punt the total in this game. While the Under is the play if you are going to take anything, I don’t trust it in either direction.
The Under is 5-2-1 in the Steelers’ past eight games, hitting the Over in two straight.
The Under is 6-1 in the last seven meetings between these two clubs at the Browns.
The Under is 5-3 in the Browns’ past eight games, hitting in two straight.
The Under is 5-1 in the Browns’ last six games as a favorite.
The Under is 3-3 in the past six meetings between the Steelers and Browns, hitting in each of their past three outings.
Anthony Cervino is 61-50-2 on his NFL Best Bets in 2020.
Prepare Week 17 betting tips and plan
After studying Steelers Browns Bet Tips and Steelers-Browns Picks:
- Read our latest NFL news, analysis, tips, predictions and betting tips.
- Learn how to bet on sports, including strategies, key terms, and betting process.
- Watch videos of our latest NFL analysis and predictions from experts.
- Choose the sportsbook and betting offer that fits your budget and strategy.
