Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers Prediction, Preview and Odds - 01/03/2022

by Amedeus Mastrangelo

Monday, Dec 27, 2021
Game Time: 8:15 pm ET, Monday, January 3, 2022
Venue:  Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA 
Where to Watch:  ESPN

 

Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Browns -3, Steelers +3; Over/Under:  41.5 points
Bet365:  Point Spread:  Browns -3, Steelers +3; Over/Under:  41 points
BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Browns -3, Steelers +3; Over/Under:  41 points
 

Season Record

Cleveland Browns:  7-8 (4th place, AFC North)
Pittsburgh Steelers:  7-7-1 (3rd place, AFC North)
 
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Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers Preview and Analysis

 
Recent Form
Cleveland Browns:  lost on the road on Dec. 25 against the Green Bay Packers 24-22.
Pittsburgh Steelers:  lost on the road on Dec. 26 against the Kansas City Chiefs 36-10.
 
 
 

Cleveland Browns Analysis

The Browns are coming into this game with a 7-8 record overall and they are 2-5 in their road games this NFL season where they will be in this game. This will be their 5th divisional matchup of the year and they are currently 2-2 in their division games this season. They have lost 3 of their last 4 games and are coming into this one off of a 2 game losing streak after another loss in their last game. Their last win was against the Baltimore Ravens while their 3 losses in that span came against the Baltimore Ravens, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Green Bay Packers in their last game on Sunday. Quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 21/36 passes for 222 yards, 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in that one. Nick Chubb had a nice day on the ground as he led the team in rushing with 126 yards and 1 touchdown on 17 carries. Rashard Higgins led the receivers with 58 yards on 5 receptions while Chubb also had 58 yards on 3 receptions. Jarvis Landry had 55 yards on 4 receptions while Anthony Schwartz and Harrison Bryant both caught the 2 touchdown passes in that one with 1 each. M.J. Stewart led the defense in that game with 9 solo tackles and 1 assisted one. No one on the defense was able to record a sack in that game or come up with an interception in that one. They have scored 314 points in their 15 games this season averaging 20.9 PPG and they have allowed their opponents to score 329 points against them allowing 21.9 PPG. Their offense is averaging 345.5 YPG while their defense is allowing 321 YPG.
 
 

Pittsburgh Steelers Analysis

The Steelers are coming into this NFL game with a 7-7-1 record overall and they are 5-2 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. This will be the 5th divisional matchup on their schedule this year and they are currently 2-2 in their division games this season. They have lost 2 of their last 3 games and are coming into this one off of a loss in their last game. Their last win was against the Tennessee Titans while their 2 losses in that span came against the Minnesota Vikings and the Kansas City Chiefs in their last game. Ben Roethlisberger completed 23/35 passes for 159 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in that one. Najee Harris led the team in rushing with 93 yards on 19 carries. Diontae Johnson led the receivers in that game with 51 yards and 1 touchdown on 6 receptions while Chase Claypool had 41 yards on 4 receptions. Robert Spillane led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 8 assisted ones. Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith both recorded the only sacks in that game with 1 each while no one on the defense was able to come up with an interception in that one. They have scored 301 points in their 15 games this season averaging 20.1 PPG and they have allowed their opponents to score 371 points against them allowing 24.7 PPG. Their offense is averaging 316.5 YPG while their defense is allowing 368.4 YPG. 
 
 

 

Browns vs Steelers Prediction

The Browns are coming into this game as a 3 point favorite with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Browns have not been playing well but they have been missing a lot of players. They should be healthier for this game and Mayfield has still been able to keep his team in games. They were down big against the Packers in their last game but managed to claw their way back and only lose that game by 2 points. The Steelers have been struggling all season long, they have been finding ways to win games and stay above .500 but they have looked awful in those games and their defense has been the only thing keeping them in. The Browns have a much better offense even in the state they are currently in and they should be able to score on the Steelers here. The Steelers are going to struggle to score in this game like they have all season and the Browns should be able to pull away as the game goes on. The best bet for bettors to place in this game is on the Browns to cover the spread here.
 
Browns Steelers Prediction:  Our NFL Pick for Monday, January 3, 2022 (8:15 pm ET start time) is Browns 28 Steelers 17.
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NFL Betting Trends

 
Cleveland Browns: 10-17 ATS as a favorite. 2-6 ATS as a road favorite. 13-22 ATS against conference opponents. 5-12 ATS versus division opponents. 8-14 ATS off 1 or more consecutive unders. 1-10 ATS off a road loss. 4-16 ATS after playing their last game on the road.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 11-7 ATS as an underdog. 12-5 ATS off 1 or more straight overs. 8-4 ATS off a road blowout loss by 21 points or more. 16-6 ATS after allowing 35 points or more last game. 26-17 ATS after a loss by 14 or more points. 7-1 ATS after trailing their last 2 games by 10+ points at the half.
 

Key Injuries

 
Cleveland Browns:  K. Hunt (RB) Out indefinitely - Ankle injury. A. Taylor (T) Out indefinitely - Illness. T. Hill (CB) Out indefinitely - Illness.
Pittsburgh Steelers:  K. Dotson (OL) day-to-day - Ankle injury. C. Wormley (NT) day-to-day - Groin injury. P. Freiermuth (TE) day-to-day - Concussion.
 

Notable Quotes

 
"It was just missed throws. Uncharacteristic, and I hurt this team. That's the most frustrating thing for me, because I thought our defense played tremendous against a really, really good offense. But when you turn the ball over on your own territory, in the red zone and around midfield and give them extra opportunities, they're going to take advantage of it." - Baker Mayfield on their loss against the Packers in their last game.
 
 
"We didn't do enough in any phase to give ourselves a chance. This is a collective, players and coaches, man. We own this. Now we have to get singularly focused on our two remaining division games." - Mike Tomlin on his team’s loss against the Chiefs in their last game.
 
 

Starting Lineups

 
Cleveland Browns
WR Landry, Jarvis 
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
TE Hooper, Austin 
QB Mayfield, Baker  
RB Chubb, Nick 
FB Janovich, Andy
 
Pittsburgh Steelers
WR McCloud, Ray-Ray 
WR Chase Claypool
WR Johnson, Diontae 
TE Freiermuth, Pat
QB ROETHLISBERGER, BEN 
RB Harris, Najee 
FB Watt, Derek 
 

Statistical Leaders

 
Cleveland Browns
Passing: B. Mayfield (2825)
Rushing: N. Chubb (1143)
Receiving: D. Peoples-Jones (483)
Touchdowns: N. Chubb (9)
 
Pittsburgh Steelers
Passing: B. Roethlisberger (3373)
Rushing: N. Harris (984)
Receiving: D. Johnson (1079)
Touchdowns: N. Harris (9)
 
Coaches:
Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski (2nd season)
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin (15th season)


Amedeus Mastrangelo

About the Author:

Amedeus Mastrangelo has been heavily wagering on all sports for years and plays just about everything, including sides, totals, favorites, underdogs, against the spread, alternative spreads, first half, second half, player props, and futures. The bottom line is, if Mastrangelo can see an edge in any way shape or form, then he's going to take advantage.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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