Best NFL Picks and Predictions Today (How to Bet Steelers vs. Browns on Thursday Night Football)

Breaking down the best picks for the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson should lean his team to another win in Week 12. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The AFC North division takes center stage on Thursday night as the Cleveland Browns are in search of their third win of the 2024 season when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Pittsburgh is in first place in the AFC North and is riding high after beating the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. Meanwhile, the Browns are coming off a loss and are all but out of the playoff picture in the NFC entering the final stretch of the regular season.

Russell Wilson and the Steelers are favored in this game, and they enter Week 12 with the best against the spread record in the NFL at 8-2. 

Can they stay hot on Thursday?

The SI Betting team has compiled four picks to consider for Thursday night’s AFC North showdown, including a pick on a side from NFL betting insider Iain MacMillan.

Let’s break them all down. 

Best NFL Picks and Prediction for Steelers vs. Browns

• Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5 (-110) vs. Cleveland Browns – Iain MacMillan
• David Njoku Anytime TD (+285) – Peter Dewey
• Najee Harris Anytime TD (+130) – Peter Dewey
• Nick Chubb UNDER 52.5 Rushing Yards (-115) – Iain MacMillan

Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5 (-110) vs. Cleveland Browns – Iain MacMillan

Earlier this week, MacMillan shared in his Road to 272 why the Steelers are the best to make on Thursday: 

I don't believe the market is pricing the Browns correctly. Sure, their offense is marginally better with Jameis Winston at quarterback, but this team remains dead last in the NFL in Net Yards per Play this season at -1.4, 0.3 yards per play worse than the next worse team. Even with Winston as the quarterback, the offense has ranked 22nd in both EPA per play and success rate since he's taken over.

It's also time to stop thinking the Browns have a good defense. They're 20th in the league in opponent EPA per play and 27th in opponent yards per play. Their tackling has gotten worse as the season progressed, allowing Taysom Hill to look like the greatest football player to ever walk the earth last week.

The Steelers are the best coached team in the league and you have to play mistake-free football to beat them. Their defense will carry them to victory and their offense won't do anything to lose themselves the game. I'll lay the points with Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

David Njoku Anytime TD (+285) – Peter Dewey

Since Jameis Winston took over at quarterback, David Njoku has been a monster in the passing game, and I think he’s worth a shot to find the end zone on Thursday: 

If there’s a Browns player to back in this game, it may be tight end David Njoku, who has been a target hog with Jameis Winston under center.

In three games with Jameis, Njoku has nine, seven and seven targets, and he also had 14 targets in the game that Deshaun Watson was injured in against Cincy. Njoku didn’t find the end zone in Week 11, but he did catch a two-point conversion, a sign that the Browns would use him in a short yardage situation. 

Najee Harris Anytime TD (+130) – Peter Dewey

Another player that I’m looking to score in Week 12 is Steelers running back Najee Harris: 

Cleveland has been gashed on the ground this season, allowing 11 rushing scores and 4.5 yards per carry through 10 games. 

While Harris only has three scores on the season, he’s found the end zone in three of his last five games – coinciding pretty nicely with when Wilson became the starting quarterback. 

Over the last four weeks, Harris has at least 18 carries in every game, a major workload that should give him the chances to find the end zone on Thursday. 

Nick Chubb UNDER 52.5 Rushing Yards (-115) – Iain MacMillan

MacMillan shared a prop for Nick Chubb as one of his top picks for Week 12: 

Nick Chubb has yet to look impressive in his return to the NFL this season. He has been averaging a measly 3.1 yards per carry in his first four starts, along with 40.8 yards per game. Now, he has to take on a Steelers defense that allows just 4.1 yards per carry, the fifth best run defense in the NFL.

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