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New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Betting Line: Steelers -4.5 o/u 45
By
John J. Raspanti
The Patriots (6-2) and the Steelers (6-2) battle for AFC supremacy in this hotly
anticipated game. Last weekend the Pats cruised into the Cleveland expecting to
put a beat down on the lowly Browns. What transpired was a good old-fashioned
butt kicking as the Brownies completely outplayed New England eventually winning
by the score of 34-14.
Tom Brady looked shaky in the pocket while Browns rookie
quarterback Colt McCoy outplayed him. Browns running back Peyton Hillis ran wild
on the Pats gaining 184 yards.
The Steelers might feel confident after watching the tape of the Pats loss.
Not so fast, quarterback Brady is 5-1 as a starter - including two AFC
championship games - against Pittsburgh with 11 touchdowns and three
interceptions. He's averaged 385.5 yards in his past two starts in the series,
the last of which came in 2007. Brady has thrown 14 touchdown passes and is
connecting at a 63 percent rate. Running back Benjarvus Green-Eliis has 385
yards on the ground but New England is pass first, run second. Brady has two
receivers he looks for quite a bit, one is Aaron Hernandez and the other Wes
Welker. Hernandez has caught 34 passes while Welker leads the team with 44
receptions but with an average of only 8 yards a catch. New England's defense is
ranked almost last in the league. Opponents are running for almost 120 yards a
game against them while throwing for 268. Even with their defensive struggles
inside linebacker Jerod Mayo has continued his standout play.
Reduced Juice Wagering Lay -105 or
LESS Only at
5Dimes.com!
The Steelers were lucky to get by the Bengals last Monday Night. Leading by
twenty points entering the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh was forced to hold on for
dear life in an eventual 27-21 victory. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has
thrown for 6 touchdowns since his return and has completed 63 percent of his
passes. Running back Rashard Mendenhall continues to impress. The 2nd year pro
has gained 702 yards on the ground. Veteran wide receiver Hines Ward has caught
30 passes, while Mike Wallace has grabbed 22. On the defensive said of the ball,
linebackers Lawrence Timmons, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley lead the Steel
crew in tackles and sacks. Their play has been exceptional. Pittsburgh is
allowing only 58 yards on the ground but over 200 through the air.
Games like this are fascinating. Offense vs. Defense. Will the #1 defense in
points allowed be able to slow down the #2 offense in points for? The Patriots
were shut down in week 2 and held to 14 points against the Jets. They
responded by scoring 38 and 41 points the next two weeks. After a 14 point
performance last week you'd expect a bounce back week. The Steelers defense is a
good one for sure, but they do rank 24th against the pass. The Pats may not be
able to run the ball but should make up for that through the air, including
short screens which may as well be runs.
The Steelers aren't likely to win this one going away if they do prevail. At anything more a field goal we have to take the points here. The under may also be worth a look. We're going to offer 3 ways to potentially bet this game.
1) Patriots +4.5
2) Under 45
3) Teaser - Pats +10.5 and Under 51