2019 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 12

Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-10)

Sunday, November 24, 1PM ET

The Cincinnati Bengals have to win one eventually, right? I’ve only picked them to win a couple of times this season (obviously with poor results), but they haven’t been a complete train wreck. They’ve had a couple of opportunities to streak the losing streak, and this should be another.

Why? Well for starters, the Pittsburgh Steelers are reeling from last week’s epic meltdown against the Cleveland Browns. Their quarterback came under heavy scrutiny, they lost to a divisional rival and they’ve shown that the defense can’t carry them to victory on a weekly basis. As good as the D is, there’s just not enough production on offense to counteract it.

That’s what helps me go with the Bengals here. Yes, they have an awful defense — the worst in the NFL, actually. The offense isn’t explosive, but hasn’t been as bad as expected with Ryan Finley at the helm. If Cincinnati can feed Joe Mixon early and often while getting contributions from their gaggle of receiving options, they should be able to pull off the upset.

Since the injury to James Conner, the Steelers offense has sputtered. Mason Rudolph can’t get it going on his own, and Jaylen Samuels isn’t getting the job done. That should continue to be the case in Week 12, when they slip up and allow the Bengals their first win of 2019.

Prediction: Bengals win 20-17