Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information.

Congratulations if you saw the market inefficiencies in oddsmakers’ gaping 14-point handicap for Joe Flacco and the Bengals against Green Bay last week.

It marked the second-highest point spread for the NFL season.

The Bengals had 57 percent of the public on its side in spite of the optics around a 40-year-old signal-caller taking the keys to the offense several days before facing a top-five EPA team on the road.

Cincinnati remained within striking distance all day as Flacco completed 64 percent of his passes, threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns and relinquished zero turnovers in the 27-18 defeat.

Now 5.5-point home ’dogs against the 4-1 Steelers, there’s obviously some overcorrection, but are the Bengals still not getting enough trust from Vegas?

It’s been business as usual for Mike Tomlin and his wear-and-tear ways of squeaking out wins through executing an elite situational defense and a clean turnover margin. 

Pittsburgh forces more field goal attempts rather than touchdowns (21.4 ppg) and is extra stingy in the red zone. There’s also its aggressive pressure rate from pass rushers like T.J. Watt and Jason Heyward, who have helped boost the club to five sacks per game.

Though for all this success on defense, it’s kept the offense to the lowest amount of plays run overall. In the action Aaron Rodgers and co. is getting, they’re marching to the tune of the fewest total overall yards gained. 

Cincinnati has suffered defensively, but I’m offsetting this with Aaron Rodgers’ dink-and-drag attack.

Let’s not forget the Bengals still boast one of the game’s most threatening skill groups between Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. They’ve just needed a quarterback. With another week of settling under Flacco’s belt, I’m looking for more explosive plays.

Pittsburgh has struggled in man coverage against these two: Chase has averaged over 82 yards with five total touchdowns in six games, while Higgins over 87 yards in eight games for four scores.

I don’t place a lot of stock in trends, but Mike Tomlin’s 0-6 road mark on “Thursday Night Football” is heavy enough to catch my attention.

It’s Rodgers against Flacco. If this were 2012, we could grab the popcorn.

Here in 2025, I’m still expecting a close one — just not very sexy in the duel of Father Times.

THE PLAY: Bengals +5.5 (-110 at BetMGM).

Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.