Steelers vs. Bengals: The best betting props for MNF

The Pittsburgh Steelers needed a fixture to stop a mini-losing streak, and the Cincinnati Bengals offer the perfect tonic. Cincinnati is in free-fall and already planning for 2021. Joe Burrow is on the shelf, as is backup quarterback Brandon Allen, and now Ryan Finley comes in under center to get run over by the Steelers.

After going 11-0, Pittsburgh has forgotten how to get the offense going, and have lost two on the spin while scoring just 32 points combined. Their defense is still best in the league, but they’ve lost linebackers Bud Dupree and Devin Bush for the season.

Still, Pittsburgh will be looking forward to getting back on track against the Bengals, whom they destroyed 36-10 in Week 10. And that was when Burrow was fit and firing. Since 2013, the Steelers have won 14 of 15 games against the Bengals. A trip to Paul Brown Stadium is exactly what they need to get back to their winning ways. Here are the best prop bets for Monday Night Football.

Tee Higgins Receiving Yards

New quarterback, no problem. Rookie wide-out Tee Higgins adapted well to losing Burrow and getting Allen in his place, as he had five catches in each of Allen’s three games and didn’t dip under 44 yards receiving. Now with Finley under center, we’re hoping Higgins continues to haul in targets.

The Steelers have allowed an average of fewer than 20 completions against them per game, which is a concern. But there have been 10 wide receivers this season who have gone for 70 yards or more against them. Higgins is one of those players, as he torched them for 115 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh in Week 10.

Corner back Joe Haden returns to the Steelers’ defense after missing last week’s game against the Bills, when Stefon Diggs ran up 130 yards through the air. He’ll put it to Higgins, but the rookie has shown plenty of explosiveness this season. With the Bengals expected to be behind on the scoreboard, and with their lack of a solid running game, Finley is going to have to keep looking for Higgins.

Pick: Over 40.5 receiving yards (-115)

Drew Sample Receiving Yards

Cincinnati tight end Drew Sample appeared to have a decent connection with Allen under center, but with wide-outs Tyler Boyd and Higgins eating up target share, Sample’s chances of beating this line look slim.

Sample has gone for 22 yards or less seven times this season, including the Week 10 game with the Steelers when he caught just one of two targets for nine yards. Pittsburgh has been outstanding against the tight end position this year, allowing just a 53% completion rate and only 5.4 yards per target – which are both the lowest in the league.

With that yards-per-target figure, and the fact that Sample has got five or fewer targets in 10 of his 13 games, it doesn’t look good for him. Will Finley at quarterback up Sample’s target share? I can’t see it, so it’s an easy call to side with the Under here.

Pick: Under 22.5 receiving yards (-120)

Ben Roethlisberger Passing Yards

Roethlisberger has had to deal with a receiving corps that has racked up the most drops in the league this season (35!), but that shouldn’t reflect badly on “Big Ben,” who has been more than happy to keep chucking the football this year.

He’s thrown the ball 521 times this season – more than anyone else in the NFL – and the Steelers pass the ball on 64% of their plays. That doesn’t change much when they’re winning games either, as they throw the ball 58% of the time in positive game script, so a matchup with the awful Bengals shouldn’t impact Roethlisberger’s arm.

He will have all the time in the world to pick out his targets on Monday, as his offensive line has allowed Roethlisberger to be sacked just once in the last six games. The Bengals defense hasn’t been able to get anywhere near opposing quarterbacks. They’ll let him scan the field and rack up some big yards.

Pick: Over 278.5 passing yards (-115)

Juju Smith-Schuster Receiving Yards

Juju Smith-Schuster is going to be Big Ben’s go-to guy on Monday. Chase Claypool and James Washington are locked in a head-to-head battle, while Diontae Johnson’s “butter fingers” have seen him fall down the pecking order.

Smith-Schuster now has Roethlisberger’s attention, and has an average of more than eight targets per game in the last five weeks. While he was held to just 37 yards or less in three of those games, he racked up 77 yards off 13 targets against this Bengals side in Week 10.

Juju will be going toe-to-toe with Mackensie Alexander in the slot on Monday, with the Bengals corner back allowing catches on just 43 of 58 passing attempts for 411 yards this season. But Smith-Schuster is going to get plenty of targets in this one, and with Roethlisberger having so much time to pick him out, I fancy him to have the upper hand on Alexander.

Pick: Over 53.5 receiving yards (-115)

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