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Bengals vs. Steelers Prediction, Picks & Best Bets Today: NFL Week 18

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: January 4, 2025 5:05 PM EST • 4 min 3 sec read.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase runs onto the field before the game against the Denver Broncos, and we think he'll have a big game as part of our Bengals vs. Steelers prediction.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase runs onto the field before the game against the Denver Broncos. Photo by Katie Stratman via Imagn Images.

The Cincinnati Bengals' season looked finished when they fell to 4-8 just six weeks ago, but they enter their final game of the regular season still with a chance to make the playoffs. The Bengals enter this roast contest on Saturday as -2.5 favorites.

Cincinnati is still alive thanks to four straight wins, but it needs a little more magic in Week 18.

The Bengals take on the Steelers on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN) at Acrisure Stadium, with this spread showing us that these teams' records don't accurately represent just how good each is.

Our Bengals vs. Steelers prediction, part of our NFL Week 18 predictions, analyzes the chances of Cincinnati stepping up one last time and covering the spread. Plus, we offer a Ja'Marr Chase prop pick. 

Bengals vs. Steelers predictions

NFL picks based on the odds from our best NFL betting sites. Odds subject to change.

  • Against the spread pick: Bengals -1.5 () vs. Steelers ⭐⭐⭐
  • My best pick: Ja'Marr Chase Over 92.5 yards () ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bengals vs. Steelers ATS prediction: Week 18

Bengals to cover the spread: -1.5 ⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -110 via BetMGM | Implied probability: 52.38%

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Bengals with the decisive quarterback advantage

Like his team, Joe Burrow remains alive in the NFL MVP odds race thanks to a staggering eight-run game with 27 touchdown passes and five interceptions. He threw for at least 309 yards in five of the last seven contests and has tossed the Bengals on his back, ensuring they have a last-gasp shot at the postseason.

Burrow also has at least three touchdown tosses in eight straight, a stark contrast to how Russel Wilson has been performing lately.

Wilson dropped from seventh to 20th in the  QB index over the last month. His last three outings — all losses — represented three of his worst four performances of the season, according to PFF.

With a fumble in each of the last three, including a costly one after going for too much against Baltimore, and two interceptions in the previous two, Wilson has picked the worst possible time to falter.  

Steelers' poor recent run 

The Steelers were in pole position to win the AFC North, but a run of three straight losses put them in a much more precarious position. 

Yes, Mike Tomlin is outstanding in divisional home games, going 41-12 SU and 21-2 SU in the season's final six games at Acrisure since 2007.

However, the current situation feels different. Despite their injury issues, the Bengals enter the game brimming with confidence and momentum.

There are even murmurs that Tomlin could rest players for the playoffs. I don't buy that, though. A first-round encounter against the struggling Houston Texans is immeasurably better than one in Baltimore against one of the Super Bowl odds favorites.

Home-field advantage and the crisp winter conditions will surely help Pittsburgh, but I don't think that will be enough to prevent Burrow from continuing his otherworldly run. A winning $10 bet will profit $9.09.

Bengals vs. Steelers best pick

Our NEW NFL player prop odds ;tool can help you find the best odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your area!

Ja'Marr Chase Over 92.5 receiving yards ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -113 via FanDuel | Implied probability: 53.05%

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Tee Higgins is questionable, and Chase Brown is too. Even if both play, they probably won't be at 100%. That places an even higher impetus on Chase to step up one more time. That's nothing new for Chase, an Offensive Player of the Year odds contender for most of the season. 

Chase hit the Over on this prop in four straight games and five of the last seven. Burrow should be turning to his primary asset as much as possible, even with the freezing conditions in Pittsburgh.

Plus, given their obvious aura of desperation and field goal kicker Evan McPherson's recent struggles, the Bengals will be excessively aggressive.

FanDuel offers the lowest number and the most competitive odds of our best sportsbooks, and a winning $10 bet will profit $8.85.

Phil Wood is also backing Chase as part of his Bengals vs. Steelers player prop picks.

Bengals vs. Steelers expert picks

Bengals vs. Steelers odds

See all of this week's NFL odds and NFL scores.

Bengals vs. Steelers live odds

Bengals vs. Steelers opening odds:

  • Bengals: -1.5 (-110)
  • Steelers: +1.5 (-110)

Bengals vs. Steelers odds movement

It's been nearly one-way action on the spread since this game opened with the Bengals as 1.5-point favorites. Cincinnati looks like it'll enter this game as a -2.5 road favorite, and it certainly will be the more motivated team with its playoff hopes hanging in the balance.

Bengals vs. Steelers injuries

Bengals vs. Steelers game info

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 4
  • Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
  • Where: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh)
  • How to watch: ABC/ESPN
  • Weather: 19 degrees, 10 mph winds, 30% chance of precipitation
  • Favorite: Bengals (-1.5 via BetMGM)

NFL betting odds pages

Here are our best NFL betting sites:

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Written By:
Gary Pearson
Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.