The Cincinnati Bengals hit the road this week to face the Pittsburgh Steelers live from Acrisure Stadium, looking to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2015. Fans checking lines through Ohio online sports betting will find this AFC North clash near the top of the Week 3 board given the division stakes and the early unbeaten record on the line. Joe Burrow and company have started fast, and a win here would send an early message across the conference.
Bengals Rolling, Steelers Looking to Find Footing
Cincinnati has won its first two games of the season, opening with a 33-27 home win over the Buccaneers before traveling to Houston and beating the Texans 20-6. The offense has been explosive at times behind Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, while the defense showed real teeth against the Texans, holding a talented offense to just six points. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, enters Week 3 at 1-1. The Steelers opened with a 20-13 win over the Falcons before falling on the road to the Patriots in Week 2. Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh offense have struggled to find rhythm through two games, scoring a combined 23 points, even though the defense has largely held up its end.
Checking the Odds Ahead of Kickoff
DraftKings currently has the Bengals as 3.5-point favorites heading into Sunday's matchup at Acrisure Stadium. That number is worth watching closely, because the last time Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh by more than that margin was back in 2022, a 37-30 road win. Since then, the Steelers have won every meeting between these two teams, so oddsmakers installing the Bengals as favorites in Pittsburgh says a lot about how differently these two rosters are viewed entering this season.
What Cincinnati Needs to Do to Win
For the Bengals to cover and pick up their third straight win, they need to keep leaning on the strength that has carried them so far: the defense. Containing T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh pass rush will be critical to protect Burrow and let the passing game work downfield to Chase and Higgins. On the other side of the ball, forcing Rodgers into mistakes and limiting explosive plays from the Steelers offense would go a long way toward keeping this game comfortably in Cincinnati's control. If the Bengals can control the clock and avoid the kind of turnovers that have plagued this rivalry in the past, they have a real shot at ending Pittsburgh's recent stranglehold on the series. Bettors browsing Ohio sports betting apps this week should watch how the line moves as kickoff approaches, since public money on an undefeated team often pushes the number even further in Cincinnati's favor.
