The Cincinnati Bengals enter Week 1 as 6.5-point favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium, having won their last three meetings against their AFC North rivals.

The Bengals dominated the Steelers in their last home matchup, winning 41-10 behind Joe Mixon's 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Pittsburgh's run defense, which had its worst season since the AFL-NFL merger, attempted to improve by bringing back Tyson Alualu and signing Larry Ogunjobi.

For the Steelers, Mitch Trubisky will start at quarterback over rookie Kenny Pickett. Pittsburgh's offense, which averaged just 20.1 points per game last season (20th in NFL), added rookie receivers George Pickens and Calvin Austin III. However, running back Najee Harris is dealing with a lis franc injury, and the offensive line remains a major concern.

Key Factors:

• Bengals have dominated recent matchups
• Steelers struggling with offensive line issues
• Pittsburgh transitioning from Ben Roethlisberger era
• Bengals' balanced offense poses major threat

Prediction: Bengals to cover the 6.5-point spread, pulling away in the second half thanks to their superior offense and Pittsburgh's questionable offensive line.

[Note: All images from original article maintained in their original positions and format]

Related Articles

Previous Articles