Week 7 of the NFL season kicks off with an AFC North rivalry, as the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers have won three straight and are now the odds-on favorite to win the division at -160. The 1-5 Baltimore Ravens have the second-best odds at +160, followed by the Bengals at +1600.
The Bengals have lost four straight, including last week against the Green Bay Packers in Joe Flacco's first start since being acquired in a trade.
Matt Bowen, Pamela Maldonado and Eric Moody offer their picks, prop plays and analysis to help you bet Thursday's game.
Note: Odds at time of publication. For the latest updates, visit ESPN BET. 
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Game picks | Prop bets | Betting trends
Game bets
Pamela Maldonado: Both teams play slow, both quarterbacks play safe, and both defenses force mistakes. Cincinnati under Joe Flacco averaged 4.9 yards per attempt and ran the ball just 16 times. Pittsburgh leads the league in sacks plus takeaways, the exact combo that kills tempo and shortens possessions.
Even if the Steelers find their usual 24 points, it's hard to see Cincinnati keeping pace with its short-passing offense. This sets up as a grind, not a shootout; think field-position game where every drive feels like work. The line moved from 43 to 44.5, but the rhythm still says under.
Notable player props, bets
Pat McAfee is very impressed by what he has seen from Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offense this season.
Jaylen Warren over 49.5 rushing yards (-120)
Matt Bowen: Warren is averaging 49.0 yards on the ground over his past three games, but I see that number climbing versus a Bengals defense allowing 135.7 rushing yards per game (28th in the league). Short week, divisional opponent. Look for the Steelers to run the ball. Take the over on Warren.
Kenneth Gainwell 10+ rushing attempts (+325)
Eric Moody: The Steelers' offensive line ranks 13th in run block win rate and should find success against a Bengals front that has allowed the third-most rushing yards per game to running backs. In Week 6, Warren had 11 rushing attempts, and Gainwell had just six. This backfield is a true committee, but I expect Gainwell to see more usage in a matchup where the Steelers should lean on the running game.
Betting trends
Courtesy of ESPN Research
The Steelers are 3-0 ATS in their past three games and 4-0 ATS against the Bengals since 2023.
The Bengals are 1-4 ATS in their past five as an underdog.
The Bengals' past eight games on short rest all went over the total.
The under is 17-3 in games where Joe Flacco is a home underdog in his career (2-0 this season with the Cleveland Browns).