Steelers Favored Over Bengals in MNF

The Steelers are 7-1 ATS in their past 8 trips to Cincinnati and oddsmakers have them favored heavily to do it again on Monday Night Football.

Books opened the Bengals as 4.5-point home underdogs, coming off four straight losses in which they failed to cover the spread in each outing.

But bettors pounded the Steelers and you can now get the Bengals at +6.5 at online sportsbook 5Dimes.com.

But the total could be a solid play if recent history repeats itself – the past 10 times the Steelers have been favored, the UNDER has prevailed only two times! The number is hovering at 41 at most Americasline.com sponsors.

Cincinnati needs a big night from not only Ochocinco and Owens, but its entire receiving corps. The Bengals won’t be picking up gains on the ground against a stingy Steelers defense and will look to keep the ball in the air.

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Cincy is ranked sixth in the NFL in passing (242.4 yards per game) and quarterback Carson Palmer showed he still has it with a 412-yard passing day in a 39-32 loss to the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago.

Palmer connected for three touchdowns in that game, finding both Owens and Ochocinco in the end zone. Owens has taken over as the top target in Cincy, catching 45 balls for 629 yards and five touchdowns. Ochocinco is behind him with 39 balls for 458 yards and two scores.

But in the long shadow of those two high-profile wideouts are two budding rookies who could make the difference against Pittsburgh. First-year receiver Jordan Shipley and rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham are emerging as potent weapons in the Bengals' offense.

Shipley, out of Texas, had a breakout game versus the Falcons, hauling in six passes for 131 yards and his first pro touchdown. Last week, in a close loss to the Miami Dolphins, Shipley had just three receptions for 28 yards and is sitting third on the team with 349 total receiving yards.

Gresham, the highly-touted tight end out of Oklahoma who missed his senior year with a knee injury, is also finding his spot in the playcalling. He’s caught 29 passes for 201 total yards and has two scores on the year, putting him on pace to break Cincinnati’s rookie receiving mark, set by Cris Collinsworth in 1981.

More than 54 percent of the passes thrown by Palmer this season have been aimed at either Ochocinco or Owens. With the Steelers wise to the numbers and doubling up on those main targets, Shipley and Gresham are in place to make a huge impact on Monday’s outcome.

They will be wise to stick to the aerial attack as the Steelers rank first in the NFL in road run defense.

OddsShark.com Monday Night Football Pick: Bengals +6.5 at 5Dimes.com

Looking to bet on the Steelers? The best favorite line is -6, -110 at Sportsbook.com.