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The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cleveland Browns under the lights in Week 17. The matchup between longtime rivals will take place on Monday Night Football, and the stakes are high. The Steelers are 7-7-1 through 15 contests, with the Browns sitting at 7-8 this season. Pittsburgh and Cleveland are both seeking bounce-back victories following road losses to Kansas City and Green Bay, respectively.
Kick-off from Heinz Field is at 8:15 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Steelers as 2.5-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 43 in the latest Steelers vs. Browns odds. Before you make any Browns vs. Steelers picks and NFL predictions, make sure you see what SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White has to say.
White, a CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor, ended the 2020 season on an 80-59 run on all NFL picks, returning more than $1,400 during that span. It’s no surprise, as White has cashed huge twice in the world’s most prestigious football handicapping competition, the Las Vegas SuperContest.
In addition, White has gone an astounding 51-29-4 on his last 84 picks involving the Steelers, returning more than $1,800. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White has set his sights on Browns vs. Steelers and locked in his NFL picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Here are several NFL betting lines and trends for Steelers vs. Browns:
- Steelers vs. Browns spread: Steelers -2.5
- Steelers vs. Browns over-under: 43 points
- Steelers vs. Browns money line: Browns +125, Steelers -145
- CLE: The Under has hit in four of last five Browns games
- PIT: The Steelers are 4-6 against the spread in the last 10 games
Why the Browns can cover
Cleveland’s defense is playing at a high level this season. The Browns enter Week 17 with the No. 7 total defense in the NFL, allowing only 321.0 yards per game. Cleveland is in the top 10 of the league in first downs allowed with only 296 in 15 games, and the Browns are in the top 10 in passing defense and rushing defense. Cleveland allows only 215.1 yards per game through the air and 105.9 yards per game on the ground.
The Browns are in the top 10 in yards per pass attempts allowed (6.9) and sacks (37), with opponents producing only 4.1 yards per carry against Cleveland. The Browns have also given up only 12 rushing touchdowns all season. Pittsburgh’s offense is below-average on the whole, producing fewer than 320 total yards per game, and the Steelers are in the bottom five in both rushing yards (87.6 per game) and yards per rush attempt (3.8) this season.
Why the Steelers can cover
The Steelers have a few notable strengths that open doors against the Browns. Pittsburgh excels in ball security on offense, committing only 18 turnovers in 15 games. That ranks in the top 10 of the NFL, and the Steelers are in the top five in avoiding interceptions with only nine. Cleveland’s defense can be beaten through the air, allowing 27 passing touchdowns, and the Browns are below-average in third down and fourth down efficiency.
Pittsburgh can also create havoc on defense, ranking in the top five of the NFL with 43 sacks, and the Steelers are above-average defensively in passing yards allowed, completion percentage allowed, passing touchdowns allowed, red zone efficiency allowed and third down efficiency allowed in 2021. Cleveland has generated fewer than 21 points per game, and the Browns are No. 27 in the NFL in passing yards behind a pedestrian air attack.
How to make Browns vs. Steelers picks
White has analyzed this matchup from every angle and while we can tell you he’s leaning under the total, he has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Browns vs. Steelers on Monday Night Football? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see White’s Browns vs. Steelers pick, all from the NFL expert who’s 51-29 on picks involving Pittsburgh, and find out.