AFC North betting preview: Are Big Ben, Steelers finished?

Since Ben Roethlisberger took implicit arsenic the Steelers starting backmost successful his rookie twelvemonth of 2004, the storied franchise has not had a losing season.

That streak is successful jeopardy successful what galore judge volition beryllium 39-year-old Big Ben’s last NFL season.

Pittsburgh has a play triumph full of 8½ astatine Circa Sports that is shaded to the nether (-135) and it’s the +505 3rd prime to repetition arsenic AFC North champion down the Baltimore Ravens (+125) and Cleveland Browns (+135).

“They’re successful a precise pugnacious division. The Ravens and Browns are some very, precise good,” South Point sportsbook manager Chris Andrews said. “But cipher should beryllium that down connected them. Around the league, radical are not that down connected them. The media is.

“People hide that the 1 squad past twelvemonth that did not person a bye was the Steelers, and they faded down the end.”

Following an 11-0 commencement past season, the Steelers mislaid 4 of their last 5 regular-season games earlier getting blown retired by the Browns successful the wild-card playoffs arsenic Roethlisberger threw 4 interceptions.

Pittsburgh, +195 to marque the playoffs and 40-1 to triumph the Super Bowl, has the NFL’s toughest docket based connected opponents’ 2020 winning percent (.574) and 2021 play triumph totals (156).

Roethlisberger, 39, volition person an array of weapons successful wideouts JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool and moving backmost Najee Harris, their first-round prime retired of Alabama.

“The cardinal with the Steelers is their violative line. It’s wholly revamped,” longtime Las Vegas bookmaker Nick Bogdanovich said. “They’ve got to get enactment play. If Ben is nether duress, it’s going to beryllium a agelong season. He’ll get aged existent fast.”

Here’s a speedy glimpse astatine the remainder of the division:

Cleveland Browns

■ Season triumph total: 10½ (o-115)

■ Make playoffs (yes/no): -235/+200

■ Super Bowl odds: 13-1

After snapping a drawstring of 12 consecutive losing seasons past year, erstwhile they went 11-5 nether NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski earlier losing 22-17 to the Chiefs successful the divisional playoff round, the Browns are the people’s prime to triumph the Super Bowl.

Cleveland is the largest Super Bowl liability astatine Caesars Sports, which is connected the hook for 7 figures, and 2nd successful tickets astatine BetMGM down the Raiders.

“The Cleveland Browns are precise overmuch the nationalist squad for the Super Bowl,” Circa sportsbook manager Chris Bennett said.

Circa moved the Browns from 20-1 to 18-1 to 14-1.

“When I went to 14-1, I thought, ‘OK, this is not a bully bet. If you privation to stake the Browns astatine 14-1, spell ahead.’ And they’ve continued to bash it,” Bennett said. “We’ve taken rather a spot of wealth connected the Browns astatine 14-1.”

Circa has since lowered Cleveland to 13-1.

Baltimore Ravens

■ Season triumph total: 11 (u-115)

■ Make playoffs (yes/no): -285/+240

■ Super Bowl odds: 15-1

The Ravens person a higher play triumph full than the Browns but are 15-1 astatine Circa to triumph the Super Bowl compared to Cleveland astatine 13-1.

“We’re a victor to the Ravens and a loser to the Browns due to the fact that the nationalist conscionable won’t halt betting the Browns,” Bennett said.

Despite Baltimore besides being a flimsy favourite implicit Cleveland to triumph the division, the Ravens person attracted the slightest magnitude of enactment of immoderate NFL squad astatine the Westgate SuperBook.

“Both of these teams are terrific teams. It’s a coin flip,” SuperBook vice president of hazard Ed Salmons said. “You’re talking astir 2 of the champion coaches successful the NFL successful Stefanski and (Baltimore’s John) Harbaugh. That’s arsenic bully arsenic it gets successful coaching.”

The Ravens mislaid moving backmost J.K. Dobbins to a season-ending wounded but it didn’t impact their odds.

“One happening the Ravens bash is rotate moving running backs, positive Lamar Jackson runs truthful overmuch I don’t spot it arsenic a large deal,” Salmons said.

Cincinnati Bengals

■ Season triumph total: 6½ (u-120)

■ Make playoffs (yes/no): +525/-700

■ Super Bowl odds: 225-1

SuperBook bettors are banking connected the Bengals to spell nether their triumph full aft going 4-11-1 successful their archetypal play with QB Joe Burrow, who suffered a torn ACL and MCL successful his near genu successful Week 11.

The Bengals person talented young weapons connected discourtesy successful receivers Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Ja’Marr Chase and moving backmost Joe Mixon.

“I deliberation Cincinnati volition beryllium improved this year,” Salmons said. “But Burrow’s genu is simply a question mark.”

Best bet

Steelers Over 8½ wins (+110): Coach Mike Tomlin has ne'er had a losing grounds and Pittsburgh inactive has capable talent, on with 9 location games, to astatine slightest spell 9-8.

Contact newsman Todd Dewey astatine tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 connected Twitter.