The Cincinnati Bengals enter their Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers as 6.5-point favorites at Paycor Stadium, riding a three-game winning streak in this AFC North rivalry.

The Bengals' offense dominated Pittsburgh in their last home meeting, winning 41-10 behind Joe Mixon's 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Pittsburgh's run defense, which struggled historically last season, added Tyson Alualu and Larry Ogunjobi to address these issues.

For the Steelers, Mitch Trubisky takes over at quarterback from retired Ben Roethlisberger. While Pittsburgh drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round, head coach Mike Tomlin is starting the veteran Trubisky. The Steelers' offense, which averaged just 20.1 points per game last season, faces significant challenges:

• An unproven offensive line
• Running back Najee Harris dealing with a lis franc injury
• Rookie receiver Calvin Austin III sidelined for several weeks
• Questions about Trubisky's ability as a starter

The Bengals' balanced offense should exploit these weaknesses. With Pittsburgh's offensive line concerns and quarterback uncertainty, Cincinnati is expected to pull away in the second half and cover the 6.5-point spread.

Betting Pick: Bengals -6.5

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