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Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Saturday night's second NFL Week 18 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals will be affected by the results of the earlier clash between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns.

The AFC North title would be won by the Ravens if they can justify their short odds to see off the already eliminated Browns, otherwise the Steelers would still have a chance to take the division by beating the Bengals.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has said he will play his starters even if the division is no longer up for grabs, making life no easier for the Bengals, who need to win to have any chance of making the play-offs.

If they can achieve that, the Bengals would still need the Broncos and Dolphins to lose their games on Sunday, but Zac Taylor's team are finishing the season in fine form and have won their last four games.

The Bengals also have revenge on their minds after losing a wild game 44-38 to the Steelers in Week 13 and AFC North battles are rarely dull.

CIN Bengals @ PIT Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals prop bets - tips and predictions 

Andrei Iosivas over 28.5 receiving yards - 10/11

Andrei Iosivas has made the role of the Bengals' third wide receiver his own in recent weeks, having the same kind of success that his predecessor Tyler Boyd enjoyed.

Opposing defences will always have their hands full trying to stop Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and Iosivas has shown he is capable of taking advantage of any lapses in coverage.

The second-season receiver averages only just above his receiving yards line for this game at 29.2, but he has really come on in recent weeks with 53 or more receiving yards in each of his last two games and 29 or more in six of his last seven appearances.

Higgins has also been dealing with ankle and knee injuries this week, so Iosivas could be in for more work against the Steelers.

Calvin Austin III anytime touchdown scorer - 7/2

A Steelers wide receiver is also of interest in this game and Calvin Austin III is a decent price to score a touchdown. 

Austin operates behind George Pickens on the Pittsburgh depth chart but has played an increasingly prominent role and has 548 receiving yards this season, with 65 or more in two of his last three games. 

He has scored four touchdowns this term but one of them came in the first meeting with the Bengals and he should enjoy going up against their weak defence again.

The Steelers could also be tempted to withdraw Pickens from the fray if they have nothing to gain late in the game, making Austin one of the team's primary targets.

Read more NFL betting tips and predictions on site

Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals money line, spread, over/under

Money Line

Spread

Over/Under

Steelers

23/20

+2.0 – 10/11

Over 48.0 – 10/11

Bengals

20/27

-2.0 – 10/11

Under 48.0 – 10/11

Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals spread pick - Bengals -2 10/11

Much has been made of the Steelers' motivation for this match but probably not enough has been said about their ability to win it.

Part of the reason that Tomlin has said he won't rest his starters even if they can't win the division is that he would like to snap their three-game losing streak before the play-offs, but his team may not be up to it.

The Steelers have lost by 14, 17 and 19 points in their last three games and while they were all against play-off teams, the red-hot Bengals should also be a problem for them.

There is no point in the Bengals holding anything back and they should be able to end the regular season on a run of five wins even if Sunday's results mean that may still not be enough for them to make the post-season.

Read Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals how to watch, TV channel, head-to-head stats, team news and more on site.

View the full market and more odds for Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals on site

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.

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