By: Michael Stiffler, @Stiffeezy_ on Twitter
SteelerNation.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers are your AFC North Champions and will be playing for nothing in Week 17, unless you want to argue seeding between 2nd and 3rd. While the Steelers are playing for nothing, the Cleveland Browns are playing for a chance at the playoffs for the first time since 2002. If you followed my picks from Week 16, you would have gone 1-2 last week (26-18-1 YTD). As always, lines are brought to you via FanDuel Sportsbook. *Lines may change when and wherever you do your betting.
Let’s get started!
Spread: Cleveland -9.5 (Opened at Cleveland -8.5)
Total: Over/Under 41.5 (Opened at 41.5)
1st Half Spread: Cleveland -6
With the game being a preseason-like game for the Steelers, all of my reasoning tends to come into one mixture. The Browns are coming into this matchup more motivated than the Steelers there's no arguing that. The Browns are in a very simple scenario where they don't need to rely on any outside help, win and they are in. The Steelers are not playing for anything and they have already ruled out players like Ben Roethlisberger (NIR), Cam Heyward (NIR), Maurkice Pouncey (NIR), TJ Watt (NIR), Terrell Edmunds (shoulder), Chris Boswell (groin), Joe Haden (COVID), and Eric Ebron (COVID). It is hard to truly know who will be playing since the injury report doesn't include any players who will be getting "rotational rest" as head coach Mike Tomlin described it. The only certainty is Mason Rudolph will be very short handed against a Browns team, who will be relatively healthy compared to a week ago. Now without bringing up the helmet incident, Rudolph was awful in last year's matchup throwing 4 interceptions and completing only 52% of his passes, remind you the Steelers were playing all of their starters. Since last season, Rudolph hasn't given any indication since that he possesses that IT factor to will this team to a fighting effort. I expect the offense to be very reminiscent of 2019, expect low points out of the Steelers....if any.
The Browns will see a weakened run defense who has allowed over 100 rushing yards the past two weeks, while they get back starting lineman Jedrick Wills and Wyatt Teller. I expect the Browns 4th best rushing attack in the NFL to challenge the Steelers defensive front early and often without Heyward and Watt. Baker Mayfield should bounce back this week with the return of his entire receiving core from COVID-19. Haden and Edmunds have both been declared out already and I imagine Minkah Fitzpatrick and Steven Nelson will see very limited time. This should allow Mayfield to get back to the sort of hot streak he was on prior to the outbreak.
The stars have aligned for the city of Cleveland, 35-0 Browns win.
Stiffler’s Picks: Cleveland -9.5 (Game), Under 41.5, Cleveland -6 (1H)
Feel free to follow, fade, or criticize all picks. I wish you good fortune on your bets to come.
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