The Monday Night Football matchup in Week 4 will pit a pair of winless teams against each other, although it is one of the best rivalries in the league. The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Cincinnati Bengals, and the winner of this game could potentially turn their season around. There is always plenty of heavy-hitting and trash-talking when these teams take the field, but there usually aren’t a ton of points scored.
Pittsburgh had high hopes entering this season, but a key injury derailed their season in a hurry. The Steelers have had a pair of close losses in Weeks 2 and 3 after suffering a blowout loss in their season opener to the New England Patriots.
Cincinnati suffered a one-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 but has struggled in its last two games. The Bengals have had trouble on both sides of the ball all season long. Pittsburgh is a 3.5-point favorite in this Week 4 matchup of winless teams.
Bengals Must Find a Way to Run
The Cincinnati Bengals have a pair of dynamic running backs on their roster, but they have both struggled to get things going this season. Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard have combined for just over 110 rushing yards this season, and the Bengals are averaging less than 42 rushing yards per game this season. Quarterback Andrew Dalton has thrown for 979 yards already this season, but he has also been sacked 11 times. If the Bengals aren’t able to establish their running game in this matchup with the Steelers, it will be another long night for the offense.
Cincinnati has allowed 27.7 points per game this season as well, but one bad game has really inflated those stats. The Bengals have recorded just five sacks so far this season, and getting pressure on Mason Rudolph will be a key in this one. Cincinnati has really struggled to defend the pass in 2019, but registering some sacks will help them out in that department.
Steelers Struggling Without Their Big Guns
The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the season without the departed Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, and starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went out with an injury early on in the season. Pittsburgh has been a complete mess on offense for much of the season, and a young quarterback hasn’t helped matters. Rudolph has completed just over 56 percent of his passes, and he will need to hit on some downfield strikes in this game. Running back James Conner is averaging less than 3.0 yards per carry this season as well, but opponents are stacking the box to try and stop him.
Pittsburgh has actually been worse than Cincinnati on defense this season, but they have played some talented offenses this season. The Steelers have recorded just six sacks so far this season, but they will blitz a ton in this one. If Pittsburgh is able to stop the run in this one, it should be able to get its first win of the season.
Pittsburgh Earns The W
Both of these teams have struggled in all aspects of the game this season, but this is a good opportunity to turn things around. This rivalry has delivered some classic games in recent seasons, and it should be much of the same in this game. The Bengals still have their starting quarterback in this game, but their running game is a mess. Pittsburgh has a more balanced attack, but they don’t have a ton of starters in this one. The Steelers will get just enough offense to cover the spread and win. Bet the Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5 over the Cincinnati Bengals.
