Browns vs. Steelers Week 17 Picks: Expect Low-Scoring Battle of Attrition
The Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers will resume hostilities when they meet at Heinz Field in the big Monday Night Football game. Both teams are battling to keep their playoff hopes alive, but who will prevail? Check out our Browns-Steelers picks.
The Browns have slumped to the bottom of the AFC North with a 7-8 record after losing 24-22 to the Green Bay Packers last weekend. QB Baker Mayfield threw a career-high four interceptions and he was sacked five times during the damaging defeat. They may already be eliminated from playoff contention by the time they face the Steelers on Monday, but they may remain in the hunt if other results go their way.
The Steelers are 7-7-1, which leaves them behind four teams in the battle for the No. 7 spot in the AFC. They need to win out to stand any chance of reaching the playoffs, but they have lost four of their last six games. The Steelers are 6-9 ATS this season, while the Browns are 7-8.
Here are my picks and predictions for the NFL Week 17 matchup between the Browns and the Steelers. (Odds via FanDuel; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5 star scale).
Browns vs. Steelers Game Info
Date/Time: Monday, Jan. 3, at 8:15 p.m. ETTV: ESPNLocation: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PAWeather: Partly cloudy with 9 mph winds
Browns vs. Steelers Odds Analysis
Cleveland opened as the 3.5-point favorite to win this game and the line has not moved since then. FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars Sportsbook are all offering -105 on the Browns -3.5. DraftKings, PointsBet, and Unibet have -110 on the Steelers +3.5. You can get +100 on the Browns -4 at BetMGM, while FOX Bet has a market-leading +110 on Pittsburgh +3.
The total points line remains at 41. Every major sportsbook is offering -110 on Over and -110 on Under. DraftKings has -115 on Over 40.5 and FOX Bet has +100 on Under 40.5. FanDuel is offering +100 on Over 41.5, and BetMGM has the best price (-115) on Under 41.5. Cleveland is the -170 moneyline favorite with DraftKings and Pittsburgh is the +150 underdog.
Browns vs. Steelers Picks
Browns -3.5 (-105) ??Under 41 (-110) ????
SEE ALSO: Monday Night Football Prop Picks
Browns vs. Steelers Predictions
Browns -3.5 (-105)
The Steelers are coming off a blowout defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs, which could dent their confidence somewhat ahead of this clash.
They beat the Browns 15-10 in a tense, scrappy game in Cleveland earlier this year, but the Browns should be able to exact revenge on Monday. They won 48-37 at Heinz Field in last season's wild-card game, ending a run of 17 consecutive defeats in Pittsburgh, so they will no longer be at a psychological disadvantage.
Cleveland will get running back Kareem Hunt, pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney, linebacker Mack Wilson, corner Troy Hill, guard Drew Forbes, defensive tackle Malik McDowell, and tackle Jed Wills Jr. back from COVID-reserve for this game, which is a major boost. The Browns have a stronger roster than Pittsburgh's, and they should win this clash on the back of their superior running game.
The opportunity to take odds of -105 on the Browns to cover is appealing, but you can get -122 on Cleveland -3 at Unibet if you want to play it more cautiously.
Under 41 (-110)
The Browns' 48-37 win at Heinz Field last season will live long in the memory, but regular-season games between these teams are usually low-scoring wars of attrition.
That was evidenced by the 15-10 win that the Steelers secured over the Browns back in Week 8.
These teams combine for precisely 41 points this season. It is hard to trust either QB, as Mayfield has struggled down the stretch and Ben Roethlisberger is on his last legs, but both defenses are strong, and this looks like developing into a tense Under game.
SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.
Browns-Steelers picks made 12/31/2021 at 9:27 a.m. ET
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