Steelers, Browns Odds Show Low-Scoring First Half

• The total for the first half in the game is set at 20.5 with -115 betting odds on the UNDER.
• The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers combine for 23.6 points per first half.
• The two also allow 19.3 points per first half on average.

CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Browns will host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in an AFC North matchup. Sportsbooks have projected the offenses to get off to a slow start with a low-scoring first half.

Odds Suggest UNDER First Half Total

Sometimes the online NFL sportsbooks make it apparent that one said of a betting line is favored and the expected outcome. That seems to be the case for the first-half total between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.

Steelers vs Browns First Half Total

• OVER 20.5 -105
• UNDER 20.5 -115

The shading in favor of the UNDER is showing the line may end up moving down to an even 20.0 points. However, there are other betting lines that also indicate the UNDER may hit.

Browns vs Steelers First Half Team Total

• Pittsburgh Steelers OVER 9.5 EVEN
• Pittsburgh Steelers UNDER 9.5 -130
• Cleveland Browns OVER 10.5 EVEN
• Cleveland Browns UNDER 10.5 -130

Not only is the game line showing shading on the UNDER, but both of the team’s betting lines show the same thing. With both teams favored to fall short of their first-half team total, the UNDER 20.5 may have value.

However, there’s a lot that indicates the NFL betting sites are wrong entirely.

Why The First Half Total Goes OVER

The Browns are averaging 14.4 points per first half while the Steelers average 9.2 points per first half. Further, the teams combine to allow 19.3 points per first half with Pittsburgh giving up 9.3 on average and Cleveland allowing 10.0.

Four of the Browns’ seven games have had OVER 20.5 first-half points while the same can be said for three of the Steelers’ six games. Plus, in two of the three games in which Cleveland didn’t hit the set number, they were facing a bottom-five first-half scoring team.

Both teams are hitting this mark at a 50% clip or better and the matchup between the two isn’t unfavorable for either side. Points should be scored early on in this game. It can be watched on CBS at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday.