Monday Night Football features a battle between longtime rivals when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cleveland Browns at Heniz Field. Pittsburgh is 7-7-1 this season and looking to bounce back from a blowout loss in Week 16. Meanwhile, Cleveland fell to Green Bay in heartbreaking fashion last week, falling to 7-8 through 15 games.
Kick-off from Pittsburgh 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 strong on its own, but Pittsburgh also struggles mightily on offense. The Steelers are producing only 316.5 total yards per game, with bottom-five marks in rushing yards per game (87.6) and yards per carry (3.8) this season. Pittsburgh is averaging only 20.1 points per game, and the passing game is also scuffling. The Steelers are completing only 64.6 percent of passes and averaging 6.4 yards per attempt.
Pittsburgh also has allowed 35 sacks, more than the league average, and the Steelers are No. 20 in red zone efficiency and No. 24 in fourth down efficiency. Cleveland is in the top 10 in myriad categories on defense, including an overall unit that allows only 321 yards per game. The Browns should have no trouble stopping the run against the Steelers, as Cleveland is giving up only 4.1 yards per carry with 12 rushing touchdowns allowed and opponents producing fewer than 110 rushing yards per game 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.
