Bengals' Bad Defense, High-Flying Offense Has Team Setting Over/Under Betting History

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers have met 92 times since 1979, and only once has the over/under betting line been higher that what it is for Sunday’s game at Acrisure Stadium.

At least since 1979, which is as far back as pro-football-reference.com’s database goes.

Sunday’s line opened at 50.5, but after Pittsburgh’s poor offensive showing Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, it dipped to 49.5

The only time it was higher for a Steelers-Bengals matchup was in Week 14 of 2015 at then Paul Brown Stadium.

Cincinnati entered ranked fourth in the league at 27.8 points per game, and the Steelers were sixth at 25.9.

Despite Andy Dalton’s season-ending broken thumb in the first half, the game still went over with the Steelers winning 33-20.

There was one other Cincinnati-Pittsburgh game that had a line of 49.5.

That was in Week 6 of 2018 at PBS.

The Bengals entered the game ranked fourth with 30.6 ppg, and the Steelers were fifth at 28.6.

Trailing 21-20 with 10 seconds to go, Pittsburgh won 28-21 on a Ben Roethlisberger 31-yard pass to Antonio Brown and two-point conversion.

If Sunday’s number stays where it is or climbs, it will be the fifth time in 10 games this season the Bengals had an over/under of 48 or more.

The most times they’ve seen an over/under of 48 or higher in a single season was six, which happened twice – last year and in 2018.

Given how good the Bengals offense has been and how bad the defense is playing (allowing a league-worst 33.3 ppg), that record should fall.

Especially when you consider the offenses waiting for the Cincinnati defense after Pittsburgh.

The Bengals still have to face are the Bills (sixth, 27.6), Patriots (eighth, 26.5) and Ravens, twice (10th, 25.4).

Two of the biggest over/unders in franchise history came in 2018.

The line was 56 for a Week 7 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The final was Chiefs 45, Bengals 10.

And the line was 55 the following week against Tampa Bay.

The final was Bengals 37, Buccaneers 34.

There have been two other instances with 55.

Week 15 on Monday night at Indianapolis in 2006 (Colts 34, Bengals 16), and Week 9 in 1987 against Miami (Dolphins 20, Bengals 14).

All told, there have been just 42 Bengals games since at least 1979 with an over/under of at least 49.5.

The under has hit 22 times, and the over 20.

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