Steelers @ Bengals

Who will WIN this matchup?

Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0)

@ Cincinnati Bengals (0-0)

Current odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers: (+246)

Cincinnati Bengals: (-303)

• The spread for this game is Bengals by 7 points.

• The Cincinnati Bengals won’t sneak up on teams this season as they begin defense of their AFC championship when they host their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Sunday. The Bengals stunningly went to the Super Bowl for the first time in over three decades last season, falling to the Los Angeles Rams. Cincinnati hadn’t won a single playoff game since the 1990 campaign before reeling off three straight in January.

• Meanwhile, Pittsburgh is starting a new era as Mitchell Trubisky replaces the retired Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback.

• The Bengals won a total of six games over the previous two seasons before going 10-7 last year. Former No. 1 overall draft pick (2020) Joe Burrow knows teams all around the league will be gunning for Cincinnati after last year’s success.

• The Steelers went 9-7-1 last season and lost 42-21 to the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC wild-card game.

• After a three-way competition following Roethlisberger’s retirement, Pittsburgh settled on Trubisky over first-round pick Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph. Trubisky, the No. 2 overall pick by the Chicago Bears in 2017, has been much maligned in his career. But he signed as a free agent in the offseason and quickly impressed the Steelers. This week he was named a team captain before being officially named the Week 1 starter.

• Trubisky, 28, went 29-21 as a regular-season starter during his four seasons with the Bears. He spent last season with the Buffalo Bills as a backup to Josh Allen.

• Four-time Pro Bowl linebacker T.J. Watt leads the Steelers defense after tying Michael Strahan (2001) for the most sacks (22.5) in a season since the stat became official in 1982.

• Pittsburgh linebacker Marcus Allen (hamstring) and receiver Diontae Johnson (shoulder) were limited practice participants on Wednesday but both were full go on Friday and ready to play.

• Cincinnati’s Devin Asiasi (quadriceps) was ruled out Friday while fellow tight end Mitchell Wilcox (ankle) and receiver Trent Taylor (hamstring) are listed as questionable.

• Burrow underwent an appendectomy early in training camp and is fully recovered.

• Cincinnati swept last season’s two meetings for its first season sweep over Pittsburgh since 2009, winning 24-10 at Pittsburgh and 41-10 at home. The Bengals have won the past three meetings after losing the previous 11, including the postseason.