Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers Odds, and Picks (Sep 18)

• Cleveland continued their dominance over Cincinnati, winning 24-3 in Week 1.
• The Steelers lost 30-7 against the 49ers in their opener, and struggled to score.
• These two teams last met on January 8, in game that the Steelers won 28-14.

The NFL season has officially begun! Let’s preview the upcoming Browns vs Steelers AFC North clash. The Browns will seek to build on a fantastic win in Week 1, while Pittsburgh needs to take a huge step forward.

How to Watch

• ABC

Preview

The Browns once again dominated the Bengals, improving to 9-2 in their last 11 matchups. It was a stout performance for Cleveland, especially by their defense, which held highest-paid QB Joe Burrow to just 14 of 31 for 82 yards and 0 TDs. If Cleveland’s defense can play like that all season, they’ll have a real shot at making the playoffs. That being said, Deshaun Watson was again mediocre, posting a 67.3 passer rating.

Pittsburgh drew a difficult opening matchup against a stacked 49ers team. After showing many signs of progression in the preseason and offseason, Kenny Pickett looked much like the QB he was last season in Week 1. He finished the day 31 for 46 for 232 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INTs. Oddly enough, the Steelers only ran the ball 10 times, despite averaging over 4 yards per carry. That game plan is not ideal for Pickett at all.

Prediction

The Steelers should be a better team this season than they were in Week 1, as expected of many teams that underwhelmed. That being said, they need to avoid a home loss in Week 2 and an 0-2 start to keep up in a tough AFC North division. This game will be a great test to see if the Steelers are really as bad as they were last week, and if the Browns are really that good. I’ll think we’ll see some course correction here.

NFL Picks:

• Steelers 24, Browns 23 ()