Steelers vs. Browns odds, picks, line, how to watch, live stream: Model reveals 2021 Week 8 NFL predictions

TV channel, NFL best bets, picks for Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers on CBS and Paramount+

By CBS Sports Staff

Oct 31, 2021 at 12:03 pm ET • 2 min read

The Steelers and Browns will meet for the fourth time since last October as they also engaged in a Wild Card game last season. Cleveland won that matchup after the teams split the regular season series and the Steelers are out for revenge. Pittsburgh has won two straight and are coming off a bye, while the Browns have lost two of their last three.

FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland will host Browns vs. Steelers, which kicks off at 1 p.m. ET. The Browns are listed as five-point favorites by Caesars Sportsbook in the latest Steelers vs. Browns odds. Vegas is expecting a defensive battle as the over-under of 43 is one of the lowest of Week 8. In select markets, Sunday's matchup can be seen live on CBS and streamed live on Paramount+ with their must-have Premium plan.

Paramount+ now has levels of membership so you can watch your local NFL on CBS matchups and much more. The Premium Plan is $9.99 per month and you can watch your local CBS live stream, including plenty of sports like SEC on CBS, NFL on CBS, and the PGA Tour, with no ads, on demand and the ability to download episodes for offline viewing. Both plans come with a free week to start and include the NFL on CBS, so sign up now here.

How to watch Browns vs. Steelers

Date: Sunday, Oct. 31
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+

Week 8 NFL picks for Steelers vs. Browns

Before you tune in to Sunday's Browns vs. Steelers game, you need to see the NFL picks from SportsLine's advanced computer model. The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up almost $7,700 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six-plus years ago. The model enters Week 8 of the 2021 season on an incredible 126-85 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.

The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past five years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.

For Steelers vs. Browns, the model is backing Pittsburgh (+5) to cover the spread on the road. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has dominated the Browns throughout his career, especially in Cleveland. He is 11-2-1 in his career at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Pittsburgh is quite comfortable being the underdog, as it is 14-4 against the spread as an underdog since the start of the 2018 season. It's also comfortable taking care of business against the Browns, as the Steelers covered both games versus their divisional-rival in the regular season last year.

The model projects Baker Mayfield to be harassed all game by a Pittsburgh defense that's registered a sack on 6.6 percent of passing plays, which ranks seventh in the NFL. The model has the Steelers getting multiple sacks while also forcing at least one turnover. That defensive pressure will keep the Browns' offense off-schedule and allow Pittsburgh to stay in striking distance to the very end. Thus, the model projects Pittsburgh to cover in over 50 percent of simulations.