Contributors: Corey Eckenroth/Jeff Hartman/Dave Schofield

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The Pittsburgh Steelers could not pull out the victory last Thursday night in the snow against the Cleveland Browns, losing in the last moments of the game 24-19. Then there was the crazy talk that came out of one George Pickens’ mouth, talking about how the weather affected the game. Yes, you heard that right, a Steeler complaining about a loss because of the weather. I guess there’s a first for everything.

Wanna know what ISN’T the first? It isn’t the first time we’ve seen this show. The Steelers go and put together an impressive run of games, only to drop one to a team that they should have soundly beaten. I guess in the end, it’s not the end of the world if the little brother beats the big brother every now and again. What ISN’T kosher is if next week they drop the game against the Browns again at home. That would lose any gains the Steelers have made on the Ravens for the Division Crown and put them right back into a tie for the Division lead.

A Steelers loss COULD happen this week, if the Steelers aren’t careful, as the Bengals CAN put up points. Macauley Culkin still throws the ball for the Bengals. Jamarr Chase still catches the ball for the Bengals. So does Tee Higgins, the Steelers biggest target of the upcoming offseason (MY hope, anyways).

So the Steelers will need to play a complete game, and not come into the game with the attitude that they will walk over the Bengals. In fact, they SHOULD come into this game with a huge chip on their shoulder after Thursday’s Browns game, and the way that the Steelers folded in the final minutes, much like the Dallas loss. That’s two wins that the Steelers SHOULD have cemented away but couldn’t, two uncharacteristic defensive collapses in the game’s critical final moments. Let’s hope the Steelers stay focused and get the win this week.

Speaking of getting W’s, it’s been over a week since we last sat down and chatted kiddies, so lets see who got the wins last week on the Parlays before getting into this week’s sprinkles!

Review

Corey – Cleveland’s self proclaimed DPOY, along with the rest of the Browns defense, AND the weather proved to be too much for the Steelers offense. We knew the weather was going to be an issue, and we built the parlay to take advantage of what the gameplan was thought to be, but it never materialized. It looked like the Steelers were going to close the game out with Donte Jackson’s interception, but the offense could not do it’s part and get a first down in the subsequent drive.

Having to give the ball back to Cleveland, the Browns marched down the field and punched it into the endzone for the winning touchdown. Even then, the Steelers had a chance to get into Chris Boswell range to try the Vinatieri Snow FG 2.0, but the Steelers never got close enough and time ran out to end the game. It was an ugly game all around: on the scoreboard, on the field, and most importantly, on my parlay.

• Najee Harris Anytime TD Scorer (+105) – MISS
• Jaylen Warren 25+ Receiving Yards (+180) – MISS
• PIT Steelers RACE TO 20 PTS (+115) – MISS

Total Parlay Odds: +800

Winning Bet of $10 = $90.00

Jeff – Last week my parlay missed for the Steelers game vs. the Browns, but what else is new? There was a time when I felt like as the season progressed I was getting better at picking my spots, but that has not been the case. My parlay struggles continue…

Here was my parlay from last week:

3 Leg Parlay

• Jaylen Warren 40+ Rush Yards (+100) HIT
• Najee Harris 60+ Rush Yards (-170) MISS
• T.J. Watt Total Tackles + Assists OVER 3.5 (-110) HIT

Another parlay ruined, this one by the Pittsburgh Steelers offense not doing what we thought they would vs. the Browns defense. I had a good feeling the Steelers would be able to run the ball, hence why I thought both Najee and Jaylen would be able to combine for a minimum of 100 yards. Nonetheless, Najee’s 41 yards did me in, and you can chalk up another missed parlay to my record.

Dave – As I predicited, this was not good.

• CLE Total Points: UNDER 14.5 (+120) MISS
• Total PIT+CLE Touchdowns: UNDER 3.5 (+105) MISS
• Najee Harris Rushing yards: 80+ (+135) MISS

I said last week that I would not bet on Thursday Night Football, particularly in favor of the visiting team. In order to couteract this bet, I took CLE on the moneyline (which was the smart, single bet) and more than made up my money for this. I’ll say it one last time… don’t bet, especially parlays, on Thursday Night Football.

This Week’s Picks

Corey – The line for this game opened up at 3.5 points in favor of Cincinnati, but has eeked to 3.0 points as the week has progressed. This most likely means that the money coming in on the game is for the Steelers and the points, and that the Books are adjusting accordingly.

I’m not entirely sold on the Steelers defense this week, as the Bengals are one of the few teams that give the Steelers individual matchup problems, especially in the secondary against the talented Bengals WR room. The new look secondary that the Steelers boast compared to last year will be tested frequently in this game, and Pittsburgh definitely needs to put a lid on TE Mike Gesicki, as he has been VERY close to breaking out big games the last few weeks.

The Steelers offense needs to get back on track this week against a weak Bengals defense that is giving up an average of 26.7pts/gm and is at the bottom of Red Zone D efficiency. I want to see Najee and Jaylen both get a lot of utilization this week to keep the Bengals offense off the field, and see the Steelers end drives with touchdowns, not field goals. The Steelers are getting 3 points in this away contest at -110 odds, which means this is an even game to the Books. I like the Steelers to outright win the game and I’m going to take the better Moneyline odds at +130.

• Najee Harris 70+ Yds Rushing (+120)
• Jaylen Warren 25+ Yds Receiving (+165)
• PIT Steelers Moneyline (+130)

Total Parlay Odds: +800

Winning Bet of $10 = $90.00

Sidenote: I don’t think DraftKings likes my parlay! As I was researching the picks I wanted to add, the odds I ended up with were at +850 total. Then I started writing the article, and by the time I finished and went back to drop the bet in officially, the odds changed from +850 to +800, even though none of the individual picks dropped odds. Very weird, and a little upset at myself for not locking in the better odds when I had them.

Jeff – This week’s parlay…which I again went conservative with, feels like a bunch of safe plays. I said the same thing last week, and we know how that played out. That’s fine with me, sometimes you just need to get a winner to get you off the losing streak.

3 Leg Parlay

• Jaylen Warren Rush + Receiving Yards: 59.5+ (-115)
• George Pickens Receiving Yards: 80+ (+100)
• Russell Wilson Passing Yards: 250+ (+165)

$10 bet = $60.00

Dave – Now that I’ve had a nice break, I’m ready to get back on track as the Steelers head to Cincinnati where they are 13-4 under head coach Mike Tomlin. I’m not betting the outcome of the game, but instead looking at points and performances. Varying my bet into different categories actually gives me better total odds despite the individual odds being lower than past bets.

• Jaylen Warren Receiving yards: 25+ (+170)
• PIT points scored: OVER 23.5 (+114) 
• Najee Harris Rushing yards O/U: OVER 61.5 (-120) 

Total Odds: +675

Winning Bet of $10 = $77.50

Are you buying our picks? What kind of parlay did YOU build this week? Let us know below and make sure to check out all of our other great content over at Steel Curtain Network and Fans First Sports Network, and make sure to check out the full lineup of all our great podcasts wherever you get your Pods!

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