Steelers vs. Browns Total Prediction
The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely be without star running back Le’Veon Bell on Sunday when they travel to Cleveland to play AFC North rival the Browns. Will his absence contribute to a low-scoring game for bettors?
Game Snapshot
453 Pittsburgh Steelers at 454 Cleveland Browns
1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 9, 2018
FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Steelers are 4-point favorites to beat the Browns. The total, meanwhile, sits at 44 points. As of this writing, 63% of the public betting tickets are on the Steelers to cover the point spread.
Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Steelers will not rescind Le’Veon Bell’s franchise tag. Pittsburgh rescinding the tag is the only way for Bell to get a long-term deal before next offseason. There is no reason for the Steelers to do that, however, especially since Bell has to report by Week 11 to become a free agent next spring. With Bell playing hardball, James Conner needs to be rostered in all leagues.
Cleveland Browns
Browns coach Hue Jackson confirmed Josh Gordon will be on a “pitch count” Week 1 against the Steelers. Gordon, who missed a few practices with a hamstring injury after returning to camp, said he is “100 percent,” but the coach does not want to overwork him. “My concern is if we give him too much, we might be leaving him out there for potential injury,” Jackson said.
NFL Betting Trends
Pittsburgh
The under is 5-0 in the Steelers’ last five games played in September.
Cleveland
The under is 11-2 in the Browns’ last 13 home games.
Prediction
The Browns have a lot of new faces and those new faces could lift this squad at some point. That said, I don’t think Cleveland will display a ton of offensive continuity in its first game and with no Bell for Pittsburgh, I see this game being a bit of a defensive struggle. The under is 5-0 in the last five meetings between these two teams in Cleveland.
NFL Week 1 Prediction: Steelers/Browns under 44