The Cincinnati Bengals enter Sunday night’s AFC North showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers as 3.5-point favorites, with both teams riding four-game winning streaks and holding identical 6-2 records. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, where first place in the division will be decided.
Pittsburgh, the reigning division champions, currently sit 2-1 within the AFC North, while Cincinnati, which last won the division in 2022, is 1-1 in the division this season. The Steelers lead the all-time series 73-41, though the teams have split their last four meetings evenly.
The latest odds put the total points scored at 49.5, with SportsLine’s R.J. White leaning toward the over. White, a managing editor at CBS Sports specializing in fantasy and gambling, has a strong record backing NFL picks against the spread, posting an 803-705-41 record from 2017 through 2025 and generating more than $2,700 in returns for $100 bettors. He is also on a 34-18-2 run with Bengals games and 34-18-9 with Steelers games overall.
White points to Cincinnati’s offensive surge since they moved away from an under-center strategy halfway through Week 7. “The Bengals offense has been on fire since largely ditching the under-center strategy at halftime of Week 7, scoring 15 touchdowns in the span of five halves and one overtime period,” he said. The Bengals are averaging 30 points per game, second-best in the league.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have found the end zone frequently as well, scoring 26 or more points in three of their last four games. The over has hit in six of the last 10 head-to-head meetings, plus four of the past six Steelers games and five of the last eight Bengals contests.
The betting lines reflect the expectation of a high-scoring affair. Cincinnati’s offense has shown a sudden burst, while Pittsburgh’s defense will look to contain that momentum at home. The Bengals’ recent shift in offensive approach has created a new dynamic for the Steelers to manage.
White’s picks have proven profitable for those following, returning 13.5 units on Bengals games and 13.3 units on Steelers games over his recent sample. He also identifies an X-factor that tips his confidence toward one side of the spread, though the specifics of that factor have not been publicly disclosed.
With both teams locked in a tight race for the division lead and the recent success of their offenses, Sunday night’s matchup promises to carry significant implications for the AFC North standings. The Bengals, favored by 3.5 points, will look to leverage their offensive momentum at home, while the Steelers aim to maintain their winning streak and defend their division crown.
According to CBS.
