Steelers vs. Bengals Final Score Prediction for NFL Week 13 (Trust Pittsburgh's Defense)

Iain MacMillan | 3 Hours Ago

The Bengals are home favorites to the Steelers in Week 13 action. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

A pivotal AFC North showdown is set for Week 13 of the NFL season when the Pittsburgh Steelers hit the road to take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Steelers may need to win on Sunday to hold on to their top spot in the division, while the Bengals will likely need to win out if they want a shot at a postseason berth. One more loss would definitively spell the end of their season.

Let's take a look at the latest odds for this game and then I'll predict the final score.

Bengals vs. Steelers Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Steelers +3 (-112)
• Bengals -3 (-108)

Moneyline

• Steelers +136
• Bengals -162

Total

• OVER 47.5 (-112)
• UNDER 47.5 (-108)

The Bengals opened as 1.5-point favorites but bettors have backed them in droves, moving the line to Bengals -3. The total has moved up half a point from 47.0

Steelers vs. Bengals Final Score Prediction

In this week's edition of the "Road to 272 Bets". I broke down why I'm taking the points with the Steelers on the road.

I have been betting against the Steelers for years based on the fact their record is never as good as their underlying metrics. Two weeks ago, I finally gave in and accepted the fact that analytics get thrown out the window when the Steelers play. Whether it's great coaching by Mike Tomlin or some sort of Pittsburgh voodoo, I'm done trying to fight it.

I find myself in a similar spot in this game. The Bengals' offense is far superior and with their backs up against the wall, their season is over with a loss. The numbers tell me to lay the points with Cincinnati but instead, I choose to trust in Tomlin and his defense. If they can slow down the pass-attack of the Bengals, this game's going to come down to the wire. I'll take the field goal with the Steelers.

When it comes to the total, I lean toward the under. If the Steelers cover, or even win, this game, it's going to be thanks to their defense. They've shut down elite offenses multiple times already this season, like keeping the Ravens to 16 points just a few weeks back.

Final score prediction: Steelers 23, Bengals 21

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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