The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC North matchup in NFL Week 3 on Sunday. Cincinnati has beaten Tampa Bay and Houston as a healthy Joe Burrow has been getting Bengals fans excited again. Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers started off with a victory against the Falcons, but fell flat in a loss to the Patriots last week. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Steelers receiver Michael Pittman is officially active. Bet on Bengals vs. Steelers and NFL Week 3 with the latest FanDuel promo code here and get $250 in bonus bets:
The Bengals are 3.5-point favorites in the latest NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, and the Over/Under for total points scored is 42.5. Fans interested in exploring NFL betting on games like Bengals vs. Steelers at the best betting apps need to see our picks for this matchup. And be sure to check out what SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model have to say. Get $150 in bonus bets when you spend $5+ at DraftKings:
Bengals vs. Steelers betting odds (via FanDuel)
| Bengals vs. Steelers money line: | Bengals -189, Steelers +157 |
| Bengals vs. Steelers over/under: | 42.5 (Over -111, Under -108) |
| Bengals vs. Steelers spread: | Bengals -3.5 |
Bengals vs. Steelers betting preview
The Bengals will always be a dark horse in the AFC as long as Burrow is healthy. And if the defense shows big improvement, they will be a legitimate contender. Last week, it looked like that unit -- which was among the league's worst in 2025 -- has made progress. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 373 yards but was often under duress against a revamped defensive line featuring Dexter Lawrence, rookie Cashius Howell, Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen. Howell had the key pressure on Stroud to seal the game Sunday. The team has eight sacks in two games, led by tackle Allen and end Cedric Johnson with two apiece.
The Texans have one of the AFC's best defenses, but Burrow did enough, throwing for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Both of those went to Ja'Marr Chase, who had seven catches for 75 yards after posting just 12 yards against Tampa Bay in Week 1. Tee Higgins added five receptions for 95 yards, while Chase Brown rushed for 80. Burrow threw for 254 yards in the 33-27 victory against Tampa Bay, but four takeaways were the key to that triumph. The Cincinnati defense allowed per-game averages of 381 yards (31st in NFL) and 28.9 points (30th) in 2025, but this year's version is at 328 yards (16th) and 16.5 points (eighth). It's a small sample size, but the defense appears to be more of a bend-but-don't break unit in 2026. It is allowing just 16.5 points per game.
Rodgers and the Steelers have been struggling offensively, averaging the second-fewest points (11.5) in the NFL and falling short of 300 total yards in both games. The future Hall of Famer has been seeing a lot of pressure (36.8% of dropbacks), and that has been the Bengals' defense's strength so far. Cincinnati pressured Stroud on 43.5% of his dropbacks, so Rodgers is likely to have to continue to rely on short throws. He has yet to complete a pass over 20 air yards, even though he has DK Metcalf available. The veteran wideout has eight catches but is averaging just 8.6 yards per reception. Michael Pittman, traded to Pittsburgh from Indianapolis, averaged 19.3 yards on his three receptions in Week 1 but missed last week and is questionable for Sunday. Tight end Pat Freiermuth leads the team with 78 receiving yards. Jaylen Warren has rushed for 89 yards, while Rico Dowdle is averaging just 2.5 yards per carry.
For the most part, the Pittsburgh defense has been doing its part, allowing 16.5 points per game. The unit is also tied for second in the NFL with seven sacks, led by T.J. Watt with 3.5 and Alex Highsmith with three. Pittsburgh has also forced two turnovers in each of its first two games, with those four takeaways tied for fifth in the NFL. The Steelers have allowed the third-fewest yards passing yards per game, as the Falcons (118) and Patriots (191) both failed to get to 200. The team has had trouble against the run, allowing 128 yards per game on the ground. TreVeyon Henderson had 76 of New England's 136 rushing yards last week as the Steelers have given up some explosive runs.
The teams have split the 12 meetings since 2020, with the Bengals sweeping in 2021 and Pittsburgh doing the same in 2023. That means they each won once last season, with each team winning at home. Burrow didn't play in either matchup, and Rodgers missed the game in Pittsburgh, a 34-12 victory, He threw for 249 yards in a 33-31 shootout loss in Cincinnati. Joe Flacco led the charge for the Bengals that day, throwing for 342 yards, with Chase going for 161 yards while Brown rushed for 108. Freiermuth had 111 receiving yards and Warren had 127 on the ground. The Steelers are 10-10 against the spread since the start of the 2025 season (6-4 ATS at home), while the Bengals are 10-9 ATS and 5-4 ATS on the road over the same span. Use the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets when wagering on NFL games here:
Bengals vs. Steelers picks, prediction
Over 42.5 (-111)
The SportsLine Projection Model just has this as a lean, but we expect this to be a higher-scoring matchup than the lines indicate. The Bengals front could be a real problem for Rodgers, but the defense still gives up chunk plays and the veteran has the tools to make the Steelers pay. Metcalf and Pittman (if he's back) just need a few targets downfield to make a difference. And obviously as long as Burrow and Chase are in the mix, the Bengals can light up a scoreboard. Watt and the Pittsburgh front can also create havoc, but it's the same story there. In short, the quarterbacks are probably going to be under fire most of the day, but they'll make enough big plays in the passing game. Warren and Brown are both capable backs who can gash teams if they get a crease. The teams are going Over the total in 51% of the model's simulations. New users can get up to $250 in bonuses with the Caesars Sportsbook promo code CBSSPORTSBR250:
