The Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8) can earn the AFC’s third wild-card spot by beating the Cleveland Browns (7-9) on Sunday and getting some help in two other NFL games.
In addition to beating Cleveland, Pittsburgh needs losses by the New England Patriots (against the Buffalo Bills) and Miami Dolphins (against the New York Jets).
The Browns, of course, would love nothing better than to end their season with a victory over the Steelers and end their rival’s playoff hopes.
The Steelers lead the all-time series 79-62-1, but the Browns won the first meeting this season 29-17 on Sept. 22.
Here’s everything you need from a betting perspective on the Browns-Steelers game, from the point spread, moneyline, total Over/Under and expert pick (odds via FOX Bet):
RELATED: NFL Week 18 lines
Browns at Steelers (1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS)
Point spread: Steelers -2.5 (Steelers favored to win by more than 2.5 points, otherwise Browns cover)
Moneyline: Steelers -149 favorites to win (bet $10 to win $16.71 total); Browns +115 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $21.50 total)
Total scoring Over/Under: 40.5 points scored by both teams combined
Pick via Gambling Analyst Sam Panayotovich:
I’ve been riding Pittsburgh for weeks at the window.
The Steelers’ defense has been sensational for six straight weeks, holding opponents to only 14.5 points per game over that span. And they are just punishing bad quarterbacks. Punishing.
It’s not exactly fair to say Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson is a bad quarterback — the talent is clearly there — but Watson’s rust cannot be underestimated. The velocity on his throws and his ability to read defenses aren’t up to speed, given all the time off and his lack of reps.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has been a top-10 team in offensive and defensive DVOA since T.J. Watt returned from injury. The Steelers are getting off the field quicker on D, giving the O better opportunities to score.
I’ll gladly bet on Mike Tomlin here.
PICK: Steelers (-2.5 at FOX Bet) to win by more than 2.5 points
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