Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers' three-game lead over the Cincinnati Bengals in the standings through just eight games, I'm a bit surprised by the point spread for next Monday night's game between the two AFC north rivals. The Steelers are favored by -4.5, a fairly high number actually for a road game on Monday Night Football. Throw in the fact that the Bengals are desperate for a win, head coach Marvin Lewis is trying to save his job, and the fact that the Bengals beat the Steelers twice last year, and I'm not nearly as confident as most seem to be. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see lots of late money come in on the Bengals from the sharps in Vegas this weekend. By kickoff, no way that line is higher than 3.5, in my humble opinion.
For now though, the consensus is that the Bengals are reeling and that the Steelers should be able to get back in the win column in the third and final game of their three-week road trip away from Heinz Field. The consensus on the Yahoo Pick Em league is 88 percent in favor of the Steelers.
Stay tuned for more news, notes and opinions throughout the week concerning Week 9 picks - both for the Steelers and across the NFL.