Who will win the hate duel in the AFC North?

A very special duel will take place in the AFC North on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns host the Pittsburgh Steelers. With 138 meetings to date, this is the oldest rivalry in the entire AFC.

It’s also been heated recently, such as in 2019 when Myles Garrett attacked Steelers QB Mason Rudolph with his helmet and was suspended for weeks afterward. The Wild Card Game this January also featured a spectacular clash with a total of 85 points

Steelers fans won’t want to remember that matchup, where the Browns led 28-0 after the first quarter. It was a first-rate dismantling that is sure to leave Pittsburgh wanting revenge.

All in all, we expect another tough battle in which the Browns are the slight favourites for us. For Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland, our prediction is a contested game where we will see some big plays through the air. So the total score should also be a little higher, as it was in January.

Kickoff of the Rivalry Game is Sunday night at 6:05 p.m. in Cleveland and the game will be broadcast live on ProSieben Maxx and DAZN.

Cleveland Browns – Statistics & current form

Who would have thought that the Browns’ clash with the Steelers on NFL Game Day 8 would be the duel of the third with the fourth-placed team in the AFC North. So hard times are in store for the loser and a playoff qualifier is a long way off.

Cleveland at least averted the worst last Thursday in Denver when they prevailed 17-14 without Mayfield. The starting quarterback could already be back on the field for Sunday, despite his shoulder problems.

Hunt out until further notice

Of the numerous injured players from the previous week, running back Nick Chubb could also return against Pittsburgh in addition to Mayfield. He was already able to practice lightly again during the week, which is a good sign.

Kareem Hunt, on the other hand, who was placed on the IR list, will almost certainly be absent. Backup running back D’Ernest Johnson did a great job against the Broncos, though, adding 146 rushing yards and a touchdown in the win.

Keenum or Mayfield?

This should also give them a clear edge over the Steelers in the running game, as the stats indicate: (170.4 to 81.2 yards). This means that the best running team meets the fourth weakest, even if Cleveland has to be downgraded somewhat here due to injury concerns.

The biggest question mark, however, is behind the QB situation. Does it really make sense to throw a slightly banged-up Baker Mayfield into this hard-fought matchup, or won’t solid backup Case Keenum do?

We see Cleveland as the slight favourites with both. Partly because of their running advantage, and partly because Keenum has already shown what he can do in this league. Thus, for Browns vs. Steelers, a tip on the home team is one of our betting recommendations.

Key Players:
QB: Baker Mayfield
RB: Nick Chubb
WR: Odell Beckham Jr.
TE: David Njoku
K: Chase McLaughlin

Pittsburgh Steelers – stats & current form

The situation of the Steelers before the duel with Cleveland is even more precarious than that of their opponents. They are in last place in the division with 3:3 wins and would almost be out of the playoff race if they lose.

However, they have the slightly better current form. The two wins against Denver and Seattle were vital and especially their defence delivered in these games. They conceded only 19.5 points on average. A value that should also be enough to win on Sunday.

Smith-Schuster is out for the rest of the season

With it now clear that Smith-Schuster will not be able to play another game for Pittsburgh this season, the question is how the Steelers can replace him. Diontae Johnson has played himself into focus here in recent weeks.

With 376 yards and three touchdowns so far, he is Pittsburgh’s most dangerous receiver, ahead of Chase Claypool. More needs to come from him and Ray-Ray McCloud in the future to address the weakness of the offense.

Only 5 teams with fewer yards than the Steelers

When we talk about weak offense, we’re talking about a team that puts up just 323.8 yards per game, sixth weakest in the entire NFL. This is due to the lack of chemistry between Big Ben and his receivers, of course, but also to the subterranean running game.

If the Steelers were already disastrous there last year, they also rank only 29th league-wide in 2021 with 81.2 yards per game. With the Cleveland Browns, they are now facing the second-best team against the run – not the best conditions.

Thus, despite their slightly better form, the matchup does not suit Pittsburgh and we see them trailing at the end. However, since we can’t gauge exactly how clear the matchup will be, Browns vs Steelers over-point odds are still an option as well.

Key Players:
QB: Ben Roethlisberger
RB: Najee Harris
WR: Chase Claypool
TE: Pat Freiermuth
K: Chris Boswell

Cleveland Browns – Pittsburgh Steelers Head-to-head comparison / H2H record

The Browns have won the last two meetings, but before that this matchup suited the Steelers better. Nine of the last 13 meetings have gone to Pittsburgh, with one tie.

However, the balance of power has shifted somewhat and the last two Browns victories come as no surprise. On Sunday, they should once again come out on top. A win by more than a touchdown is not out of the question.

Thus, a bet on the Browns -4 is our recommendation for Cleveland against Pittsburgh, followed by bets on over 42.0 total points. This mark has been surpassed in each of the last three duels.

Cleveland Browns – Pittsburgh Steelers Tip

The Browns are considered the slight favourites. While they lost two of their last three games, now that both Mayfield and Chubb could return, we expect them to be a bit more of a clear favourite.

This makes Browns vs Steelers odds of Browns -4 a very good bet, and an even slightly bigger handicap is also on the cards. When Pittsburgh has lost this season, it has always been by at least a nine-point differential.

Another betting alternative is the already mentioned over-points. In the last clash, a total of 85 points were scored, a number that should not be reached on Sunday by a long shot, but the 42 that were set should be easily reached. Accordingly, as described, in the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers, our prediction goes in this direction.