Monday, Sept. 30, 2019 | 10:28 a.m.
The sixth season of the annual Play of the Day betting competition between the Sun's sports staff is now underway, effective July 1.
Bankrolls start at $10,000 for each of the four participants, with the objective to increase it as much as possible over the next year. The minimum daily wager is $300, with a $200 penalty assessed for failing to place a bet on an assigned day.
Past winners are Case Keefer in 2018-19 and 2017-2018, Ray Brewer in 2016-2017 and 2015-2016, and Taylor Bern in 2014-2015.
Steelers minus-3.5 vs. Bengals, $550 to win $500: The Steelers can't be this bad, right? Right?
Pittsburgh is off to a horrendous 0-3 start that is somehow worse than it looks. That makes tonight's game vitally important, not just for any lingering hope of making this season matter but also for the future. The Steelers traded their first-round pick to Miami and if they continue to tailspin, there's the nightmare scenario that that first-rounder turns into a top-five pick that Miami uses to draft its next star quarterback, something the Steelers may wish they could do if Mason Rudolph continues to look how he did last week.
Luckily for Pittsburgh, the Bengals are also very bad. They're also 0-3, also with losses to the Seahawks and 49ers. Dare I say that the Bengals have looked more competitive than the Steelers? Two of Cincinnati's losses have come by four points or fewer, and both of those were on the road.
It's as close to a must-win game for both teams as you'll see in Week 4, but the Bengals at least have an incentive to be bad this year. The Steelers need this one worse though, and if they can't cover 3.5 at home against a lowly Bengals squad, they have bigger problems.
Current Standings: Grimala (6-3, $10,245), Brewer (5-8, $7,475), Emerson (4-9, $6,920), Keefer (7-9-1, $6,115)
