Both the Browns and their AFC North rival Steelers opened the season at home against teams expected to contend for the Super Bowl.
But while Pittsburgh suffered an embarrassing 30-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland dominated Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ high-powered offense, taking a 10-0 lead at halftime in a game they won 24-3.
Let’s analyze the Browns vs. Steelers odds, props, and a prediction.
More action: NFL Week 2 odds | Super Bowl 58 odds | NFL MVP odds
Browns vs. Steelers Spread, Moneyline, Total
Here are the best available NFL odds for moneyline, spread, and total across top sports betting apps. Click on the odds you like to place a bet. Learn more about sports betting promos when signing up to receive bonus bets.
- Spread: Browns , Steelers
- Moneyline: Browns , Steelers
- Over/Under: total points
Browns vs. Steelers Betting News
The Steelers are home underdogs vs. the Browns after their blowout loss to the 49ers to open the season.
Neither of these teams is currently considered a Super Bowl or AFC contender. Cleveland is to win the Super Bowl and to win the AFC. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is listed at in Super Bowl futures prices, and Mike Tomlin’s team is to win the AFC.
As long as the Bengals can bounce back from their poor performance in Week 1, this could be the deepest division in the NFL. That’s reflected in the AFC North futures odds entering Week 2. The best odds for each team are listed below:
- Browns:
- Ravens:
- Bengals:
- Steelers:
The season win totals markets also reflect not only how well the Browns played against the Bengals, but how bad Pittsburgh looked in the loss to the 49ers. The Browns’ regular-season win total sits at , while the Steelers’ total is .
Last year, Pittsburgh was one of the best teams in the league ATS, with a record of 10-6-1, while Cleveland went just 8-9 ATS.
The Browns and Steelers split their head-to-head matchups last season, with Cleveland winning 29-17 in Week 3, and Pittsburgh responding with a 28-14 victory in the regular season finale. In 2022, the Over/Under went 8-8-1 in Browns games and 7-10 in Steelers games.
Browns vs. Steelers Props
Here are select prop markets for the game from FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook. Live props are available in the above game tiles.
Anytime Touchdown Scorer (FanDuel)
- Player markets not yet available
Player Passing Yards (FanDuel)
- Player markets not yet available
Rushing Yards (DraftKings)
- Player markets not yet available
1st Half (DraftKings)
- Browns: -0.5 (-105), Moneyline (-125)
- Steelers: +0.5 (-115), Moneyline (+105)
Browns vs. Steelers Analysis and Prediction
With QB Kenny Pickett poised to take a big step forward in his second season and a defense led by T.J. Watt that is expected to be among the league’s best, the Steelers entered the season with high expectations. One game shouldn’t change the outlook, especially against an opponent as well-rounded as San Francisco. Still, it was hard to watch Pittsburgh in Week 1 and picture this being one of the best teams in the division, let alone the conference.
The Steelers went 3-and-out four times and threw an interception in their first five possessions against SF. Overall, it was hard to dismiss a loss this thorough as merely a rough blip to start the season. While the offense looked overwhelmed, the Pitt D gave up over 150 yards rushing to Christian McCaffrey and allowed the Niners to take a commanding 27-7 lead early in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, the Browns opened their season with a bruising win over the Bengals. Though Cincinnati was favored by 2 points in Cleveland, the Browns’ defense dominated Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Co. The final score — Cleveland 24, Cincinnati 3 — reflected as much. But the Browns also held the Bengals to just six first downs and completely stifled Burrow, who finished 14-for-32 for just 82 yards passing. Even if it’s possible the Bengals’ struggles had to do with Burrow missing time in August due to a calf injury and failing to get on the same page as his receivers, what Cleveland did defensively for 60 minutes was as notable as anything we saw across the league in Week 1.
Any Pittsburgh fans relieved that they won’t see another defense like San Francisco’s for a while could be disappointed, as the Browns’ front four led by Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith will challenge a Steelers O-line that allowed five sacks in Week 1.
Offensively, Cleveland got just enough from Deshaun Watson in Week 1, as the Browns’ offensive line paved the way for over 200 yards rushing on 40 carries, including a 106-yard day for Nick Chubb on just 18 attempts. Watson completed 16-of-29 passes for 154 yards, with one TD and one interception and added 45 yards and a touchdown on the ground. With a stout defense and an outstanding running game, Cleveland appears to have a formula — and enough talent up front on both sides of the ball — to contend for a playoff spot this year, even in arguably the hardest division in the league. Expect Chubb and the Browns’ rushing attack to do enough to squeak out a tough road win on Monday night against a Steelers team with something to prove after their embarrassing showing against San Francisco.
PICK: Browns
PICK: Browns First Half Moneyline
How to Watch Browns vs. Steelers
- Date: Monday, Sept. 18, 2023
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Acrisure Stadium — Pittsburgh, PA
- Network: ABC
About the Author
