The Cleveland Browns are favored over the Steelers in Pittsburgh for the first time in 30 years. Here’s how things could play out on Sunday.
After coming off a road win against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers were initially favored over the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh’s line for the game opened as -3, but it soon changed to +2.5, courtesy of The Action Network.
It’s clear that early betting must have shifted the odds in favor of the Browns, and it’s understandable to see why Cleveland should be favored despite playing on the road.
The Browns have now won three straight games against the Bills, Steelers, and Dolphins. During which time, they have outscored their opponents 81 to 47. The Browns are on the rise, and former 1st overall pick, Baker Mayfield, is starting to heat up.
In Pittsburgh, the Steelers now have a new face starting at quarterback. Undrafted rookie Devlin Hodges took over for a struggling Mason Rudolph halfway through the Bengals game last week and never looked back. With just one career start under his belt, there is no doubt that betters are favoring Mayfield in this contest.
While the Browns offense has certainly been better than Pittsburgh’s in 2019, the Steelers have something else going for them that Cleveland cannot match: an excellent defense.
The Browns are currently 18th in points allowed per game and 14th in yardage allowed, according to Team Rankings. To make matters worse, they recently lost their best defensive player, Myles Garrett, for the season after the late-game brawl in Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have allowed just 15.8 points per game since Week 4 of the 2019 season, and they are one of the only teams with two Defensive Player of the Year candidates (T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick).
After a violent finish in their matchup two weeks ago in a game that felt like nobody won, both teams will be looking for revenge this week. The Steelers may have fallen to the Browns by two scores, but Cleveland lost perhaps their best player for the year.
It won’t be easy for Hodges as he faces a hostile team while searching for his second career win, but the young quarterback seemed cool, calm, and collected as he led the Steelers to victory against Cincinnati.
These betting lines show us what people think of this matchup in Pittsburgh. Until Hodges proves himself, the Steelers won’t be favored in many of these games against solid opponents.