Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The 3-3 Pittsburgh Steelers had a Week 7 bye so they should be well-rested
• Browns QB Baker Mayfield (shoulder) will most likely not play but BU Case Keenum will
• Five of Pittsburgh’s last six matchups have gone under the total points line

Steelers vs Browns Week 8 Odds

Odds for Steelers vs Browns Week 8 game taken from DraftKings Sportsbook

After a bit of a rough start to the season, the 3-3 Pittsburgh Steelers had a Week 7 bye so they should be well-rested and ready to take on their longtime divisional rivals, the Browns, who beat Pittsburgh twice last year (including once in the playoffs), this a game that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger must play without his favorite receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder).

The Cleveland Browns have had a mini-bye since last Thursday’s win yet still quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) will most likely not play, but it looks like star running back Nick Chubb (calf) will be back on the field while backup QB Case Keenum takes over under center and throws to whichever of his targets show up healthy enough to play that day.

These two AFC North rivals have faced each other 139 prior times (including 3 postseason games), with the Cleveland Browns winning 61 of those games and the Pittsburgh Steelers winning 77 of the games plus there has been a tie.

Steelers vs Browns Week 8 Predictions

Can the Well-Rested Steelers Find the Offense to Beat the Browns?

After six games played, the Steelers offense is ranked 27th in the league and they have uncharacteristically put less than 20 points per game on the scoreboard, offensive production that must shift if their season is to be saved.

Haters and doubters of the Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger have more than once predicted his downfall blaming his age or his surgically rebuilt throwing arm for the ‘senior moments’ Big Ben has shown at certain times.

But perhaps their two weeks off thanks to that Week 7 bye will help his banged-up offensive line get back on par, but regardless Roethlisberger is 24-3-1 against these Brownies so at least history is on his side.

Can the Banged-up Browns Take Down the Steelers with the Next Man Up?

No team has seemed more banged up than the Cleveland Browns who have lost many starters to the injury bug, the main ones being to their starting quarterback and both starting running backs and both receivers as well as a few starters on the offensive line.

Now this banged up Browns team must put together a next-man-up squad that features a backup quarterback (Case Keenum) and backup running back (D’Ernest Johnson) plus various backups at positions on both sides of the ball, a mishmash group that earned a Week 7 win against the Broncos.

The Browns do have one thing going for them on Sunday, and that’s last year’s Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski, and his staff, but they will no doubt be relying on the noise from that hometown crowd of fanatics to keep the Steelers defense from communicating with each other.

Steelers Key Player: (WR) Chase Claypool

With Pittsburgh’s star receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder) out for the foreseeable future, the Steelers must rely on the next man up in the receivers’ room, and that means that Chase Claypool becomes the ace, a role he is extremely capable of playing.

Claypool uses his 6’ 4” 238-pound size, power, and speed to get open and fight for any ball that’s close along with earning lots of YACs (yards after the catch), so far this season posting 22 catches for 358 yards and a touchdown.

On Sunday, Big Ben and Chase must take advantage of the injured defense of the Browns and use Claypool to stretch the field which frees up the middle for rookie running back Najee Harris and tight ends Eric Ebron and rookie Pat Freiermuth to roam free.

Browns Key Player: (QB) Case Keenum

The bad news is that Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) is out for now, but the good news is that his veteran backup Case Keenum can run that offense and has the experience to keep from panicking as he fills in for that crucial team role.

Keenum already has a win under his belt this season, last week filling in for the first time and completing 21 of his 33 attempts for almost 200 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers, enough production to keep his team alive.

The Browns’ starting receivers are also banged up – Odell Beckham (shoulder), Jarvis Landry (knee), Donovan Peoples-Jones (groin) – and they are all questionable and remain a coach’s decision, but this Cleveland team has enough roster depth to keep themselves in the game.

How to Watch Steelers vs Browns