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NFL 'MNF' Week 2: Best bets and preview for Steelers vs. Browns
Week 2 of the NFL season closes out with a divisional doubleheader on "Monday Night Football." First, the Carolina Panthers will host the New Orleans Saints in an NFC South showdown, then the Cleveland Browns will make the short trip to Pennsylvania to take on the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
With the Steelers and Browns set to do battle on "MNF," let's break down the matchup from a betting perspective and try to find some winning wagers along the way.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns betting breakdown
Tonight's odds: Browns -2.5, Over/under 38.5, Browns -136 moneyline, Steelers +166 moneyline
In Week 1, the Browns impressed with a 24-3 drubbing against the Cincinnati Bengals. Deshaun Watson didn't look much better than he did last season, but the defense was exceptional all game long. Cleveland held Joe Burrow and the Bengals to just 67 passing yards and 2.6 yards per play in the game. This is clearly one of the NFL's elite defensive units.
It was a much different story for the Steelers, who fell behind early and stood no chance against the San Francisco 49ers in a 30-7 loss. The 49ers did whatever they wanted on offense, as they racked up 188 rushing yards and averaged 5.9 yards per play in the game.
Injuries are a big story leading up to "Monday Night Football." Pittsburgh will be without wide receiver Diontae Johnson and defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, while Cleveland will likely be missing WR Amari Cooper and right tackle Jack Conklin.
'Monday Night Football' best bets
Steelers +2.5 (-110 FanDuel)
This is an overreaction from Week 1, plain and simple.
These two teams couldn't have looked any different last week, as the Browns dominated a Super Bowl contender from the opening whistle while the Steelers looked like a high school team that didn't belong on the same field as the 49ers. That's how we arrived at Pittsburgh +2.5 at home in Week 2.
Sure, the losses of Johnson and Heyward don't help our cause here, but the Browns will be in trouble on offense without Cooper and Conklin. T.J. Watt should have a field day against this battered offensive line, and Watson has not been good under pressure dating back to last year. Don't expect him to turn that around without his WR1 on the field.
Give us the home underdog in what should be a physical, low-scoring game.
Nick Chubb over 83.5 rushing yards (-110 FD)
We can get too cute with prop bets in the NFL, but sometimes the best play is the most obvious one.
Without Heyward on the field in Week 1, the Steelers allowed Christian McCaffrey to run wild for 152 yards on 22 carries. How is Nick Chubb, the best between-the-tackles runner in the league, not going to have similar success? Chubb has averaged at least 88 rushing yards per game in each of the last four seasons, and he ho-hummed his way to 106 yards on 18 carries last week.
This is going to be a run-heavy approach from the Browns after what they saw from Pittsburgh's defense in Week 1, so Chubb should clear this number with relative ease.
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