Another divisional rivalry game awaits us in the final week of the NFL regular season on Sunday, January 8, and here you can read the best Browns vs. Steelers betting pick and odds.

Pittsburgh is searching for the fourth consecutive win when they welcome Cleveland at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers are 3-point favorites on MyBookie Sportsbook, while the total is set at 40 points. These divisional rivals faced earlier this season and the Browns won 29-17 in Cleveland.

Browns beat the Commanders on the road

The Cleveland Browns (7-9-0, 8-8-0 ATS) did beat the Washington Commanders 24-10 on the road, but that didn’t prevent them from being eliminated from the playoff picture. A 17-10 home defeat to the New Orleans Saints in Week 16 was crucial and sealed Cleveland’s fate this season, so they didn’t have a lot of reasons to be happy about after a W in D.C. The Browns did display one of their best defensive performances of the campaign as they forced three turnovers and committed none on the other end.

Deshaun Watson completed nine of 18 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Amari Cooper was on the receiving end of two TD passes from Watson and ended with a game-high 105 yards on three catches. Donovan Peoples-Jones also scored a receiving touchdown, while Nick Chubb led all the runners with 104 yards on 14 carries. Defensively, Grant Delpit was excellent with two interceptions; Myles Garrett had a 1.5 sack, while Tony Fields II posted a game-high nine tackles.

Steelers are back in the playoff contention with a win in Baltimore

The Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8-0, 9-6-1 ATS) opened the season with a 2-6 record, but improved greatly since the bye week and are currently on a three-game winning streak. All three victories were one-score ones, but the latest one over divisional foes Baltimore Ravens on the road was the sweetest for the Steelers fans. It came after a 13-3 deficit and ten unanswered points in the final ten minutes as Pittsburgh won 16-13. The Steelers deserved to win, though, as they were better in total yards (351-240), first downs (22-150, and possession (34:14-25:46).

Kenny Pickett completed 15 of 27 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. Najee Harris, who led all the runners with 111 yards on 22 rushing attempts, also scored the lone receiving touchdown. Jaylen Warren was good on the ground with 76 yards on 12 carries, while Pat Freiermuth, Diontae Johnson, and Steven Sims combined for 100+ receiving yards. On defense, Robert Spillane and Minkah Fitzpatrick had nine tackles apiece, while the latter recorded an interception.

CB Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring) and CB William Jackson III (back) are out indefinitely and will not feature on Sunday against Cleveland.

Trends:

Cleveland:

  • 1-5 ATS in the last six games following a straight-up win
  • 6-13 ATS in the last 19 games after allowing less than 150 yards passing in their previous game

Pittsburgh:

  • 5-1 ATS in the last six games overall
  • 5-0 ATS in the last five games vs. a team with a losing record
  • 4-0 ATS in the last four games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Pick

Cleveland is eliminated from the playoff picture but Pittsburgh still has a chance to make the postseason with a win here and favorable results elsewhere. The Steelers need New England and Miami to lose to the Bills and Jets, respectively, so they are not keeping the fate in their own hands. Still, I have no doubt that the Steelers are going to beat the Browns after keeping the opponents to 17 or fewer points in each of their previous six games. That defense will play a key role on Sunday, especially a run defense that allows 106.5 yards per game, which is the 7th best run defense in the NHL. Cleveland relies on run offense and Nick Chubb, so the visitors could struggle to move the chains on the ground.

Pick: Take the Steelers at -2.5 (-110)

The Total

I mentioned Pittsburgh’s improved defense, but it’s important noting that Cleveland’s D also improved recently. The Browns surrendered more than 17 points just once in the last seven games and allowed 30 points in the previous three games. Both teams are better at running than passing, so I expect to see a lot of time-consuming drives on each side. Under is 6-0 in the Browns’ last six games overall; Under is 8-3 in Cleveland’s previous 11 road games, while Under is 9-2 in the Steelers’ last 11 home games.

Pick: Go Under 42.5 points (-130)