Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

Week 12 in the NFL kicks off with a divisional rivalry on Thursday Night Football as the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Ohio to take on the Cleveland Browns in what is expected to be a defensive struggle.

Pittsburgh picked up a huge win in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens to solidify their spot at the top of the AFC North while the Browns suffered their seventh loss in their last eight games. The Steelers have been listed as 3.5-point favorites on Thursday night.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns betting picks and predictions

Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5 (-110)

Jameis Winston gave Browns fans a lot of hope after his Week 8 win over the Ravens. It was his first game as the starting quarterback since taking over for Deshaun Watson, and Winston threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns.

However, the success didn’t last forever. The Browns have lost both games since that win and have been outscored 62-24 in that span.

Along with a disappointing offense, their defense has been uncharacteristically bad this season. Cleveland has allowed 34, 20, 21, 24, 27, and 35 points in their last six games. The Browns defense is allowing the ninth most points per game which is troubling considering who they are playing next.

In order for the Browns to stay competitive in this game, it’s going to be on the offense to get things going. But it's hard to put faith in Winston and Nick Chubb to find success against a Steelers defense that has allowed the eighth fewest points per game this season.

The new-look Steelers have soared to the top of the AFC North. Justin Fields did an admirable job of leading the Steelers to a 4-2 record through the first six games, but it wasn’t enough to keep him as the starter once Russell Wilson got healthy.

Wilson took over in Week 7 against the Jets and it didn’t take long for Pittsburgh fans to forget about Fields. Wilson led the Steelers to a 22-point win over Aaron Rodgers and company, and it was clear that the offense was much better with the former Seattle Seahawk under center.

In the four games with Wilson, the Steelers are 4-0 and have scored 37, 26, 28, and 18 points. George Pickens has become a true WR1 with Wilson and the combination of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in the backfield has been incredibly successful.

It also helps that their defense has allowed 20 points or less in five of their last six games which takes a lot of pressure off of Wilson and the offense. The Steelers have become a true contender with Wilson under center, so back them to cover the spread on Thursday Night Football.

Under 36.0 total points (-110)

If you’re looking for a shootout in primetime, you should probably wait for Sunday Night Football. The lowest game total in all of Week 12 is Thursday Night Football.

It’s not too surprising since the Steelers boast an elite defense while the Browns offense has been stagnant in the last few games with Winston under center. However, that hasn’t stopped him from throwing his arm out each game.

Winston has attempted 41, 46, and 46 passes in his three games since taking over. He’s taken away a lot of opportunities from Chubb which fantasy managers can’t be happy about.

To go with throwing a lot of passes, Winston is also vulnerable to interceptions. He’s thrown three picks in the last three games and he’s going to face a Steelers defense that has the fifth most interceptions per game. The bottom line is that Winston is not expected to flourish against this Pittsburgh defense.

The Steelers offense has been on a run lately which makes this low total slightly concerning, but they are still expected to do the bulk of the scoring. Plus, they will likely be relying on Harris and Warren for most of the game.

Cleveland is allowing the ninth most rushing yards per game and have been beaten up by Derrick Henry, JK Dobbins, and Taysom Hill in the last three games.

Since the Steelers are expected to be winning in the second half, there should be even more opportunities for the two running backs to run the clock out. It’s a low total, but it still might not be low enough.

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Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns odds

Pittsburgh Steelers	-200 ML
Cleveland Browns	+165 ML
Spread	PIT Steelers -3.5
Total Points	O/U 36.0

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns player props

Anytime Touchdown

Najee Harris (PIT Steelers)	+125
Nick Chubb (CLE Browns)	+150
George Pickens (PIT Steelers)	+150
Pat Freiermuth (PIT Steelers)	+250
Jaylen Warren (PIT Steelers)	+275
David Njoku (CLE Browns)	+300

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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.