NFL Expert Picks, Week 11: Experts lean heavy on Bengals over the Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals are slated to face off in Week 11 of the 2022 regular season, and there are a lot of narratives between these two teams. For the Bengals, they are trying to show they have bounced back after a lackluster start to show they are still in the mix as the cream of the crop in the AFC. To prove they are not just AFC contenders, but AFC favorites. As for the Steelers, they are coming off a win over the New Orleans Saints where it was the most balanced, and dominant, win of the season. There is a lot of uncertainty with the team, and there remain huge question marks surrounding the team as they continue further into the regular season.

For those who follow the current betting lines, the Steelers opened as 5-point home underdogs, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The line has since changed to a 4-point spread, still in Cincinnati’s favor.

(Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.)

At this point, it is time to check in and see who the pundits, who call themselves experts, like in this showdown in Pittsburgh this Sunday.

As you can imagine, this game in a Bengals love fest. Every possible outlet, from ESPN, SB Nation, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports and CBS Sports alike are all-in on the Bengals to win on Sunday, getting revenge for the Steelers’ win in Week 1.

Those are sites where people just check a box on a website and move on with their lives. However, there are some who spend more time pouring over these picks, and provide some analysis than just a winner and loser.

For those type of experts, one which is talked about a lot is Pete Prisco of CBS Sports. Prisco predicts an easy Bengals win in Week 11.

The Bengals are coming off a bye, while the Steelers are coming off an impressive victory over the Saints. The Pittsburgh defense looked to be back in that game, which is a good sign. But this is a big challenge in the Bengals offense. Joe Burrow is tough to stop. They won’t stop him. Bengals take it.

Pick: Bengals 31, Steelers 21

Like Prisco, Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News also goes in-depth on every one of his picks heading into Week 11 Sunday. Iyer sees a Bengals win, but the Steelers keeping it close enough to cover.

The Bengals likely will be without Ja’Marr Chase for one more week so they’ll stick with their smart grinding offense with more of Joe Mixon. The Steelers are getting Kenny Pickett to protect the ball and their young playmakers are starting to come through for him. The Bengals also have too many key defensive holes to pull away and totally shut down their hosts.

Pick: Bengals win 24-20 but fail to cover the spread.

Prisco isn’t the only expert at CBS Sports who details their picks. Here is what John Breech thinks of the Steelers vs. Bengals game:

If the curse takes down the Falcons, there’s no reason to think that it can’t also take down the Bengals and that’s because the Steelers are absolutely capable of pulling off the upset here. For one, the Steelers defense is 10 times better when T.J. Watt is on the field and he’ll be on the field against the Bengals. Watt has only played in two games this year and the Steelers are 2-0 in those games. Watt was on the field in Week 1 in Cincinnati and he was a big reason why the Steelers were able to upset the Bengals 23-20. Also, let’s not forget, the Bengals still won’t have Ja’Marr Chase and then there’s the small fact that the Bengals almost never win in Pittsburgh (The Steelers have won five of their past six home games against them).

I’m taking the Bengals here, but I don’t feel good about it, because for all I know, the curse might come after me if I get this pick wrong and let me just say, the last thing I need in life right now is to be dealing with a curse. I live with a toddler so I’m already dealing with enough.

The pick: Bengals 27-20 over Steelers

BJ Rudell of the Pro Football Network gave this thoughts on the Steelers game Sunday in Week 11:

I took a leap this past weekend in my fantasy league, starting Kenny Pickett over Justin Herbert. It worked out. And now, I have to make a similar decision in Week 11. Surprisingly, I’m leaning Pickett unless Keenan Allen returns for LA.

Although the stats don’t show it — and at times, his rookie decision-making hasn’t helped — Pickett has stellar potential. He also has three exceptional receivers (including his underrated tight end) and, quite possibly, a backfield that’s finally turning a corner.

No doubt, the Bengals could blow away Pittsburgh, even without Ja’Marr Chase. But I like how the Steelers moved the ball against the Saints and believe they have the personnel to go toe-to-toe with the more injury-damaged Bengals.

Against-the-spread prediction: Steelers
Moneyline winner: Bengals

These are just a few sites who make weekly NFL picks. When you think about all those sites not listed above, this is when we turn to our friends at NFL Pick Watch, a site dedicated to tracking NFL expert picks by the week. They take all expert picks and put them into an easy-to-read graph for fans to enjoy. When it comes to the Steelers vs. Bills game, a whopping 91% of NFL experts like the Bengals straight up, and 70% of the experts like the Bengals to win and cover the 4-point spread Sunday.

What do you think about the upcoming game? Will the experts have it right? Or are they way off? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the Bengals in Week 11.