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Sunday Night Football Picks: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals Best Bets

by Ryan Cobbett - 11/12/2026

Sunday Night Football picks Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow

This week’s edition of Sunday Night Football features an exciting divisional match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. Both teams sit at 6-2 on the year, and both teams are carrying four-game winning streaks into the game. This is the second matchup between these two teams, with Pittsburgh holding the tiebreaker advantage. The Steelers won the first matchup 30-27 back in Week 3. The winner of this one here will move into sole possession of first place in the AFC North division. One of the biggest storylines to follow here is whether or not Joe Burrow can break the zone heavy defense, and whether the Bye Week gives the Steelers a little extra boost.

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Sunday Night Football Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals Game Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers: +3.5/ Moneyline: +150

Cincinnati Bengals: -3.5/ Moneyline: -180

Over/Under: 49.5

Sunday Night Football Pittsburgh Steelers Game Preview

The Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting atop the AFC North division with a 6-2 record. They have won their previous four games and are coming off a big 21-point victory over the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers played fantastic defense in the red zone, not giving up any touchdowns in three red zone trips. The defense held the Browns to just 319 total yards of offense, while the Pittsburgh ground game totaled 200 rushing yards. The Steelers also forced two turnovers and limited the penalties. Jaylen Warren once again had a great game as he totaled 143 rushing yards on 17 carries and a touchdown. The Steelers offense has been average through nine weeks of the regular season. They are averaging 328.4 YPG and scoring just 22.5 PPG. Defensively, they have one of the best bend-but-don’t-break defenses as they are allowing just 18 PPG on 305.6 YPG, both ranking inside the Top 10 in the league.

If the Steelers want to win this one, sweep the Bengals, and move into sole possession of first place, they need to let Warren control the pace of play for both sides. The offense needs to get Warren going early and wear out the Bengals defense early, while also eating a lot of clock. The Pittsburgh defense also needs to limit explosive plays through the Burrow/Higgins or Burrow/Chase connections. Finally, winning the turnover battle and playing clean on special teams will be a strong factor here in this one.

Pittsburgh Steelers 3 Keys to Victory

  1. Let Warren Win it Offensively
  2. Limit the Explosive Plays
  3. Win Turnover Battle and Avoid Special Teams Mistakes

Pittsburgh Steelers Injuries

DT Derrick Harmon – IR

WR Michael Pittman Jr. – IR

WR Ben Skowronek – Questionable

CB Doneiko Slaughter – Questionable

CB Brandin Echols – Questionable

Sunday Night Football Cincinnati Bengals Game Preview

The Bengals are returning home from Madrid after clobbering the Atlanta Falcons overseas. They beat the Falcons by a score of 34-17, thanks to a 17-point second quarter. The Bengals held the Falcons to just 319 total yards on offense, outgaining them by 69 yards. The run defense did struggle to contain Bijan Robinson and the rest of the Atlanta rushing attack as the Falcons did average 6.5 YPC. Cincinnati did benefit from winning the turnover battle and the Falcons long list of penalties. Burrow had himself a day as he finished 24/29 passing for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase had an elite day with 155 receiving yards and one touchdown. On the year, the Bengals offense ranks seventh in the NFL in YPG (371.1) and second in the NFL in scoring (30 PPG). Their defense has been average allowing 21.9 PPG and 354.9 YPG.

If the Bengals want to avenge their early season loss and knock out the Steelers here, they will need to contain Warren and limit his impact. They need to force an older Aaron Rodgers to beat them in the air. Burrow will need to beat the zone coverage he is set to face and find ways to get the ball to his explosive playmakers. Finally, the Bengals will need to clean up the little things and create some turnovers in order to put themselves in a spot to upend their division opponents.

Cincinnati Bengals 3 Keys to Victory

  1. Contain Warren
  2. Play Clean Situational Football
  3. Burrow Needs to Beat the Zone

Cincinnati Bengals Injuries

S Kyle Dugger – Questionable

WR Andrei Iosivas – IR

DE Cashius Howell – IR

Sunday Night Football Game Predictions

I like the Steelers to cover here. Warren has really found his groove as the top option in the ground game and he has played well all season. While not as good as Robinson, he should be able to find holes and extend plays with tough running. If he can extend drives and slow the pace of the game, Pittsburgh will keep this close. The Steelers have struggled on the road this season (2-2), so I am not convinced they will get the win, especially with the improving Bengals offense, but I do think that the Warren factor will keep them in a tight one. I also like the under. Pittsburgh is going to want to slow the game down and keep the ball out of Burrow’s hands as much as possible. Look for them to drag out their drives with a lot of ground and pound.

My Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers +3.5 / Under 47.5

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