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A pivotal AFC North matchup takes place at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday afternoon as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Steelers have hit the skids of late by losing three straight games and are in danger of suffering their first losing season under coach Mike Tomlin.

Cincinnati is going the opposite direction when it seemed all hope was lost after quarterback Joe Burrow was lost for the season with a thumb injury.

But after three consecutive wins, the Bengals sit at 8-6, right behind the Ravens in the AFC North with three games to go.

Cincinnati seeks its fourth straight victory under Jake Browning, who has led the team to wins over Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Minnesota the last three weeks.

Two of those were by three points apiece.

It’s been a strange season for the Bengals, who after starting 1-3, went on a four-game winning streak, then lost three straight, and now have won three in a row with their No. 2 quarterback.

The final game of Cincinnati’s four-game losing skid was a 16-10 decision at home to the Steelers in Week 12.

Pittsburgh held the Bengals to 10 first downs and 25 rushing yards in Browning’s first start after replacing Burrow.

While the Bengals seek their fourth straight win, the Steelers are looking to avoid four straight losses.

Their latest loss – a 30-13 decision at Indianapolis – dropped them into last place in the AFC North and put Tomlin’s streak of 16 straight seasons at .500 or better in jeopardy.

The biggest issue for Pittsburgh this season has been its inconsistent offense.

That tends to happen when your starting quarterback gets injured and your backup is ineffective.

The Steelers now turn to QB3 on Saturday, starting Mason Rudolph over Mitch Trubisky.

Pittsburgh has been held to 18 or fewer points in five straight games (the last two-plus with Trubisky), which includes embarrassing home losses to the Cardinals and Patriots.

The Steelers’ season went off the rails with the losses to New England and Arizona, but they have tallied home wins over division-rivals Cleveland and Baltimore.

The Bengals will be without star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who suffered a shoulder injury in last week’s win over the Vikings.

The Steelers will once again be without Kenny Pickett (ankle), and this week safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) will join the team’s starting quarterback on the sidelines.

Betting on the NFL?

This feels like a typical spot where the Steelers show up after recent disappointments.

They certainly have under Tomlin, who when backed into a corner always seems to find a way to fight his way out. Consider these stats:

• After allowing 30 or more points under Tomlin, the Steelers are 26-10-1 ATS, the second-best mark of any coach behind only Bill Belichick.
• The Steelers are 43-28-1 ATS under Tomlin after failing to cover the spread by 7 points or more in their previous game.
• Under Tomlin, the Steelers are 19-6-1 ATS at home after allowing 30-plus points.
• Coming off a double-digit defeat, Pittsburgh is 22-12 ATS under Tomlin.

Let’s take Pittsburgh to cover as a home underdog against Cincinnati.

Pick: Steelers +3

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