Bengals vs. Steelers Final Score Prediction for NFL Week 18 (Will Cincy Keep Its Season Alive?)

The Bengals are road favorites in Week 18.

The Bengals are road favorites in Week 18. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are still alive in the playoff chase in the AFC, but they need a win, a Denver loss, and a Miami loss on Sunday to advance as the No. 7 seed in the conference.

Cincy picked up a massive win last Saturday against the Denver Broncos, paving the way for a dramatic Week 18. There’s a chance that Cincy could face a Pittsburgh team with barely anything to play for as well. 

The Steelers would lose the AFC North with a Baltimore Ravens win on Saturday afternoon, although they still need to hold off the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild card race if that is the case. With a Ravens loss, Pittsburgh could win the AFC North with a win.

Oddsmakers are buying the Bengals’ recent resurgence, favoring them on the road in this matchup. 

Using the latest odds and analysis, here’s my prediction for the final score of this AFC North clash in Week 18. 

Bengals vs. Steelers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Bengals -1.5 (-112)
• Steelers +1.5 (-108)

Moneyline

• Bengals: -122
• Steelers: +102

Total

• 48.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

The Bengals are 10-6 against the spread despite being just .500 on the season while the Steelers are 2-1 against the spread as home underdogs. 

Cincy lost 44-38 to the Steelers back on Dec. 1 – one of many poor showings from the Bengals’ defense this season. 

Bengals vs. Steelers Final Score Prediction

Earlier this week, SI Betting’s NFL betting insider Iain MacMillan shared why he thinks Cincy will win this game in his Road to 272 column: 

The spread was set at Bengals -3 for some time on Monday morning, which made me lean toward Pittsburgh, but sharp money has come in on the Steelers forcing oddsmakers to move the line down to Bengals -1.5, which flips which team holds the value, in my opinion.

The Steelers have historically struggled late in the season and this year is no different. They enter the final week of the regular season ranking 23rd in Net Yards per Play at -0.3 including dead last in that stat at -1.3 over their last three games.

The Bengals' defense, while bad, has improved compared to their early-season numbers. Since Week 11, they've been 17th in opponent EPA per play, four spots above the Steelers' defense, which is 21st. That's good enough for me to lay the 1.5 points on them in a pivotal game on Saturday night.

It’s hard to deny that Cincy is playing some of its best football of the season, and Joe Burrow would have a real argument to win the league’s MVP award if Cincy’s record wasn’t this bad. 

Final Score Prediction: Bengals 27, Steelers 23

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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