Two teams headed in opposite directions take the field when the Cleveland Browns host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the latest edition of Thursday Night Football. The Steelers are on a roll, gunning for the top seed in the AFC. The Browns are one of the worst teams in the league, winning only two games this season. Still, this is a division rivalry and anything can happen and makes for a hard-fought contest.
Let’s take a closer look at the game. Here’s our preview, which includes a prediction, using the best NFL odds from the top sportsbooks.
NFL Pick: Steelers -3.5 (-110) at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Steelers vs. Browns
Thursday, November 21, 2024 – 08:15 PM ET at Huntington Bank Field
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers made a huge statement on Sunday getting a win over their division rival Baltimore Ravens to move into first place in the AFC North. The Steelers won the game without a touchdown as kicker Chris Boswell kicked six field goals and the Steelers relied on their elite defense to get the win. The Steelers held the top rated NFL offense of the Baltimore Ravens to a season low in both points and yards.
The Steelers have had a balanced offensive attack since replacing quarterback Justin Fields with the new starting quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson gives the Steelers more of a downfield passing threat, and he immediately found a connection with wide receiver George Pickens. An underrated trade deadline move was the addition of WR Mike Williams to the roster. The Steelers will always be led by defense, but these offensive weapons give the Steelers more options.
The Steelers can’t afford to let down against the Browns. Even though they defeated the Ravens, Baltimore is right on their heels and the Steelers will need to get every win they can in order to move into the playoffs with a home game. So while this game might seem like a mismatch on paper, it could be very close and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin needs to have his team ready to play a desperate team.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns were also built to be a defensive-minded team. However, this year the defense simply hasn’t been there. After having the top rated defense in the NFL last season, this year the Browns are 19th in overall yards against at 342.7 yards per game. The defense has definitely regressed, and the offense has not been there to bail them out.
Much has been made of the disastrous contract the Cleveland Browns gave QB Deshaun Watson but we will not belabor the point anymore in this column other than to say it is proof that the Browns are one of the worst run franchises in the NFL.
It’s too bad for the talented players who are there that they do not have a chance to compete because of the front office’s ineptitude. It seems like that overall feeling of hopelessness has seeped down into the team, especially the defense, when you look at the team play on the field this season.
After mercifully losing the terrible Deshaun Watson to injury, the Browns have turned to Jameis Winston at quarterback. Winston is an exciting player, but he can be interception prone.
With Winston in the lineup however, the Browns are aggressive on offense, and could take advantage of a Steelers team that could be looking past them. If the Browns are to have success this Thursday night, they’re going to need a big game through the air from Jameis Winston and his wide receivers Jerry Juedy and Cedric Tillman.
Key Matchup
The Browns need to give their defense some hope! The defense can seem disinterested and frustrated watching their offense flounder. Against the Saints, the defense looked tired and frustrated after watching their offense be inept.
The Browns are going to need to get off to a fast start and it’s tough to run the ball against the Steelers. That means if they are to find success it’ll be most likely through the air. The Browns are going to need to give Jameis Winston an opportunity to make plays by getting open against the secondary. If the Browns can move the ball through the air early, they could be in a nice position to get the upset or at least cover the point spread.
If the Steelers are able to shut down the Browns early, the defense might see this game as another lost cause and pack it in. Then, we could be looking at a blowout.
NFL Pick
As much as I like backing home underdogs in division rivalries, at this point in the season I can’t back the Cleveland Browns until I see something more from them. Their defense appears to have quit on the team, and the offense simply won’t be good enough to move the ball against the elite defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If the Baltimore Ravens and all their weapons have problems moving the ball against the Steelers, what will the incompetent Browns do? Although it’s tough to lay points on the road in a division rivalry, that is the right play here. Give me the Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5.
NFL Pick: Steelers -3.5 (-110) at Bet365
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