Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Betting Preview/Player Prop

AFC North rivals are set to square off on Sunday afternoon as the Cleveland Browns host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8. Both teams are currently looking up at Cincinnati and Baltimore in the standings, and each team could use a win.

Pittsburgh comes into this game with an overall record of 3-3, but they are actually heading in the right direction. The Steelers have now won two straight games, but both of those wins came at home.

Cleveland is 4-3 on the year, but this team was expected to be one of the top teams in the AFC this season. The Browns picked up a 17-14 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 7 and will look to continue with that momentum.

The Cleveland Browns are 3.5-point betting favorites over their AFC North rivals on Sunday.

Pittsburgh Must Find Rushing Yards

If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to make a run at the AFC North title this season, then they are going to have to find more balance on offense. Pittsburgh is rushing for just 81 yards per game, and that puts too much pressure on their veteran quarterback.

Ben Roethlisberger hasn't been as sharp this season, but he is still capable of putting up some big numbers. The Steelers' offensive line will have to give Roethlisberger some time, but he could find holes in the Cleveland defense.

The Steelers defense is allowing just 107 rushing yards per game, and that unit will have to play extremely well on Sunday. Pittsburgh isn't going to win this game in a shootout, but they have what it takes to slow this game down.

Browns Getting Burnt in Secondary

The Cleveland Browns have a terrific defensive front, and they can make life difficult for Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh rushing attack. The biggest flaw for Cleveland comes in the secondary as they have been known to give up some big plays.

The running back duo of Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb has been a nightmare for opposing defenses, but both players could be out on Sunday. Cleveland is rushing for over 170 yards per game, but they might be forced to throw it more against the Steelers.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield just continues to be average for the Browns, and that's not good enough moving forward. Mayfield has thrown just six touchdowns on the year while also throwing three interceptions.

Steelers Stun the Struggling Browns

This was supposed to be the year in which the Browns challenge for the AFC North title, but they just haven't been able to put it all together. Injuries continue to hurt the Browns, and they just haven't been able to do much scoring this season.

Pittsburgh doesn't feel like a legitimate title contender this season, but it's hard to ever count this franchise out. The Steelers have been getting strong play from their defense, and that unit should have a big role in deciding the outcome of this matchup.

Bet the Pittsburgh Steelers moneyline as they go on the road and pick up an important win over the Cleveland Browns.

Player Prop

Nick Chubb (-130) To Score A TD

While all eyes have been on the status of Baker Mayfield’s shoulder, perhaps equally important to the Cleveland offense has been the status of Chubb.

Chubb’s calf has been landing him on the Browns’ injury reports for a few weeks now, but the good news is he wasn’t on their latest this week. That’s a welcome indication for Cleveland fans that the fourth-year veteran is ready to go.

When healthy, there are few RBs better. In his last game in Week 5 against the Chargers, he had 161 rushing yards on 21 carries (7.67 average) and a TD. On the season, he has 523 rushing yards (104.6 ypg) and 4 TDs.

And in his last game against Pittsburgh last year, Chubb gained 108 yards and set the tempo early with a 47-yard TD run in the first quarter of a 24-22 Cleveland win.

With several question marks surrounding the Browns’ offense, we’ll look for Cleveland to rely on their sure thing and take Chubb (-130) to score a TD against Pittsburgh on Sunday.

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