Blake Krass breaks down his preview, prediction, and pick for the NFL Week 17 matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.
The Steelers have a chance to clinch the AFC North with a win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. This is a classic AFC North rivalry matchup and it should be a great late-season battle between two tough defensive teams.
Read on for a Browns vs. Steelers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for this Week 17 contest.
Browns vs. Steelers prediction, preview
Cleveland Browns
The Browns are coming off a very competitive performance last week against the Bills. Cleveland kept it within three points against one of the best teams in the league. Now, the team gets the chance to potentially play spoiler against their division rival. Despite it being such a poor season from the Browns, the players and coaches should be determined to beat the Steelers. The Browns’ defense is one of the best in the league when playing at home. Cleveland is giving up just 19.8 PPG at home this season. Overall, Cleveland ranks fifth in the NFL in defensive EPA/play and second in defensive success rate. The Browns should make this a low-scoring game and compete with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The significance of this game for the Steelers entirely depends on the outcome of the Ravens game on Saturday. If Baltimore loses to Green Bay, the Steelers will have clinched the AFC North already. If the Ravens beat the Jordan Love-less Packers, the pressure will be on the Steelers to win to clinch the division. So, the outcome of that game could play a major role in how motivated the Steelers are in this game. Pittsburgh is a good team, but not built to blow anyone out. Aaron Rodgers is having a solid season, the running game is decent and the defense is tough, but the offense remains average by many metrics. The team has found ways to win through experience and good coaching, which has them in this position in a down year for the AFC North.
Browns vs. Steelers pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for the Browns to cover as three-point underdogs. Between the two teams, the Cleveland defense is the best unit on the field. This is a top-five defense in the NFL, which has been even better at home. Late in the season and on the road in cold weather, Aaron Rodgers could be in constant discomfort against this defense. If the Cleveland defense creates a couple of negative plays, the Browns could easily win this game. The Steelers are without DK Metcalf as he serves a suspension, making their offense much easier to contain. Either the Steelers won’t need to win this game and will be ultra-conservative, or the Browns will be highly motivated to play spoiler based on the Ravens’ result. Either way, the Browns should keep this game close and have a good chance to win.
Best bet: Browns +3 (-102)