Date and Time
Date: Sunday, November 26, 2023
Time: 6:00 pm UTC
Location: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati
Head-to-Head Overview
History tells us that there’s no telling which way this game might go. The Steelers hold a healthy 68-39 overall lead in the head-to-head. However, the Bengals have won four of the last five meetings between the teams.
Recent Form
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have had a mixed bag of results lately, with two wins and three losses in their last five games. Key players will need to step up, especially considering the recent season-ending injury to their star quarterback, Joe Burrow.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have three wins and two losses in their last five games. They’ve been impressive in patches this season, particularly on defense. The problem for Pittsburgh is that their Kenny Pickett led offense is not scoring heavily enough to trouble the top teams in the league.
Injury Report
Cincinnati Bengals Injuries
Several significant injuries could be a major setback for the Bengals. The most critical is the sidelining of their star quarterback, Joe Burrow due to a wrist injury. Jake Browning will make the first start of his young NFL career in place of Burrow. A host of other key players including Akeem Davis-Gaither, Tee Higgins, and Sam Hubbard are also unlikely to feature
Pittsburgh Steelers Injuries
The Steelers also have their fair share of injuries with James Pierre, George Pickens, Nick Herbig, and Montravius Adams all listed as questionable. Their defense is hit the hardest with injuries. In particular, the long term hamstring injury to Minkah Fitzpatrick, which robs the Steelers of one of their most important secondary players.
Game Stakes
With both teams looking to climb the AFC North Division table, this game holds high stakes. The Steelers are currently third, and the Bengals fourth, but are separated by just one win. With the race for a place in the Postseason looking like it will go down to the wire, this game will have a big impact on both teams’ prospects for the remainder of the season.
Betting Odds
The bookmakers’ odds show that the game is anticipated to be extremely tight. The Steelers are slight favourites at 5/6, with the Bengals priced at 23/20 for the home win.
Conclusion – Steelers to edge home
This face-off between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers is unlikely to be a high scoring one. Both sides are limited offensively, and relatively strong on the other side of the ball. The injury to Burrow is likely to be the deciding factor though. It is hard to see the Bengals putting up many points with a rookie debutant under centre. With that in mind, we are tipping the Steelers to edge home and put themselves firmly back in the Playoff race.
