One of the most unthinkable head-to-head home winning streaks in the major American professional sports leagues is on the line Sunday in a battle for first place in the AFC North as major surprise Cleveland (5-2) visits Pittsburgh (5-2) in one of the marquee matchups of NFL Week 8. $1,500 in bonus bets: CBS has the telecast at 1 p.m. Can't say I've been in Pittsburgh in late October previously but seems like crazy-good weather, per Weather.com: Cloudy early with partial sunshine expected late. Winds light and variable.
Not shocked the Browns are taking moderate leans ATS on tickets and handle over that key number of 3. I am a little surprised the Over is getting hammered but it is quite low. By combined winning percentage, this is the third-best matchup between the rivals in Week 8 or later in the past 50 years.
FanDuel SGP price: +104 (subject to change) A Cleveland loss would make history as the Browns have lost 22 straight regular-season road games in Pittsburgh, one shy of tying the 1992-14 Packers vs. Lions for longest losing streak in any NFL head-head matchup all time. The Steelers have covered the spread in the past eight.
That's not to say the Browns haven't won in the Steel City in a couple of decades. You may remember they pulled off a 48-37 upset there in the Wild Card Round following the 2020 season. But keep in mind that fans weren't allowed back then due to COVID restrictions.
In addition, Cleveland eyes its first regular-season sweep vs. Pittsburgh, the longest drought (34 seasons) in any NFL divisional matchup since the 1970 merger. In Week 1 at home, the Browns were 2.5-point underdogs (total of 38.5) and won 27-24 to perhaps foreshadow this surprising campaign and Todd Monken's impact on the club.
The first-year coach is the +425 second-favorite to be named NFL Coach of the Year behind the Giants' John Harbaugh (+300). Monken has worked wonders on Deshaun Watson, who is +1600 to win Comeback Player of the Year – that award is likely going to Patrick Mahomes (-150). Clutch as Cleveland has become only the second team since 1970 with the game-winning score in the final four minutes, the fourth quarter or overtime in each of its first five wins.
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