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- Teams: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023
- Location: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA
- Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: NBC
Two weeks can make a difference in the NFL. Following Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season, the Cincinnati Bengals were 5-6, while the Pittsburgh Steelers were 7-4. After Sunday’s Week 14 matchups, the longtime AFC North rivals both sport a 7-6 record. The Bengals got there with back-to-back wins over Jacksonville and Colts, while the Steelers fell to Arizona and New England in consecutive games. We look at the early betting odds, picks, and predictions for the Week 16 matchup between the Bengals and Steelers, which goes down in Pittsburgh.
The Week 16 matchup between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh marks the second meeting between the teams of the 2023 NFL season. Their first matchup took place in Week 12 when the Steelers defeated the Bengals 16-10 in Cincinnati. Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett threw for a season-high 278 yards in that game. An ankle injury knocked him out of the next game, and he has not played since. Cincinnati had Jake Browning under center in that game after starting QB Joe Burrow left the November 16 game against Baltimore with a season-ending wrist injury. As of this writing, it looks as if Browning will play for the Bengals, while Pickett is a question mark for Week 16 action.
Before we look at the early betting breakdown for Week 16’s contest between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, check out our best Super Bowl betting tips and the top betting sites for NFL football in 2023.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers betting picks
| Teams |  |  |  |
| Cincinnati Bengals | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Cincinnati Bengals betting breakdown
The loss of Joe Burrow in Week 11 was supposed to be the end of the Cincinnati Bengals season, and while the team lost to Baltimore and Pittsburgh without Burrow, the club has kept itself in the AFC playoff picture with wins against Jacksonville and Indianapolis. It has done so behind some solid quarterbacking from Jake Browning.
Browning went 32 for 37 for 354 yards and one touchdown against Jacksonville. He followed that with an 18-for-24 performance against Indianapolis, where he had two passing TDs, one rushing touchdown, and one interception, which came off a deflection.
The Bengals will expect Browning to be better in Week 16 against the Steelers than he was in Week 12, and he should be. He has looked more comfortable and confident in the past two weeks of play.
Pittsburgh Steelers betting breakdown
Since beating the Bengals in Week 12, the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost two games where they were the betting favorites, dropping their Week 13 contest opposite Arizona 24-10 and falling to New England 21-18 in Week 13.
Steelers’ backup QB Mitch Trubisky had an okay second half against the Patriots, but the team’s overall offense was not good. The total offense on the day was just 264 yards, which is a far cry from the 421 yards they put up against the Bengals in Week 12.
Starting QB Kenny Pickett underwent ankle surgery last week, and he has already been ruled out of Week 15, which puts him as a question mark for Week 16. Even if Pickett is able to play in Week 16, it’s hard to believe he’ll be anywhere near 100 percent for the Bengals matchup.
Best bets for NFL Week 16: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
As of now, the Bengals and Steelers are heading in opposite directions behind backup quarterbacks. With the way things have been going, the betting pick is for the Bengals to win in Week 16.
Best bet for Week 16: Cincinnati Bengals to beat Pittsburgh Steelers.
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