PITTSBURGH @ CLEVELAND (PIT -3.5, 36.5)
NFL ODDS, NFL PREDICTIONS, NFL PREVIEWS
STEELERS @ BROWNS 11/21/24
As the Pittsburgh Steelers march confidently towards the AFC North title, their star quarterback Russell Wilson is under no illusions about the amount of grit and grind still required. Wilson seems to sense a distinct wave of potential crescendoing around the Steelers as they ready themselves for the upcoming showdown with the Cleveland Browns. However, hubris has no place in their playbook, and Wilson insists on a step-by-step approach.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) have indeed been grabbing their opportunities by the horns, stampeding through the season with a five-game winning streak, the most recent victory being a narrow 18-16 win over the Baltimore Ravens. In that game, Chris Boswell proved instrumental, kicking six field goals, while Wilson clocked a completion rate of nearly 64%, throwing for 205 yards.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Browns (2-8) find themselves in a tough spot. Their recent 35-14 dismantling at the hands of the New Orleans Saints marked their seventh loss in eight games, and they now have to contend with one of the league's toughest defenses.
Browns' quarterback, Jameis Winston, is gearing up for a high-performance showdown and is committed to delivering precision passing against a strong Pittsburgh defense. Winston threw for 395 yards and two touchdowns last week. The Steelers defense ranks second in the NFL, conceding just 16.2 points per game.
Meanwhile, injuries present another challenge for the Browns. Potentially without the services of standout defensive end Myles Garrett due to a hip injury and with several other players limited in their training, Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski is nevertheless enthusiastic about the upcoming face-off with the Steelers.
In a similar vein, Steelers' linebacker Alex Highsmith is grappling with an ankle issue and skipped Tuesday's practice, while cornerback Cory Trice Jr. was back in full form.
Pittsburgh has covered the spread in five straight games and the Steelers are 8-2 ATS for the season. Pittsburgh is 13-5-1 SU in the last 19 games against the Browns. The Steelers have covered the spread in 7 of the last 10 against Cleveland.22.
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Coach Rick Free Pick
NAJEE HARRIS OVER 64.5 RUSHING YARDS
Harris missed this number in each of his last two games, but prior to that he had three straight 100-yard games. The weather will dictate that Harris gets around 20 carries and he averages 4.0 yards per rush. Cleveland’s run defense is 24th in the league, allowing 131.7 yards per game. They also rank 25th in Defensive Rush EPA. The Browns are without their top LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and could be without Myles Garrett. Harris averages 80.4 yards per game.