Some food for thought:Difficult to back Pitt giving 7. This line is puzzling. Their record is all good and fine but I've watched them a bunch of times this year and I don't see a dominant team. Ben misses wide open receivers routinely and isn't playing that well. They have squeaked by a few teams and to me arent very impressive on either side of the ball. What am I missing? Is it just the public darling factor that keeps this line higher?
What scares me about this game/line: Steelers were a 10pt fave against the Colts and the public took a beating on that game.
Now, we have the Steelers against the Titans at +7, seems easy: Titans > Colts (debatable) and therefore Titans +7 is an easy choice!
Ratings I use:
-OVERALL TEAM Pitt # 4, Tenn # 19
-Offense Pitt # 6, Tenn # 16
-Defense Pitt # 4, Tenn # 23
-QB Pitt # 7, Tenn # 19
-SOS Pitt # 18, Tenn # 32
5-0 Steelers on this
Other:
Pitt is home team on very short week TNF
Tenn QB's mobility is uncertain (ankle) it is something that sets him apart, if he cannot move it puts him in the bottom 1/4 NFL QBs
Pitt is 7-2, Tenn 6-3, either may let down but Pitt more likely to sleepwalk (though have home crowd for motivation)
Pitt known to play down to it's competition
Pitt QB track record recently on national TV games is good
IMO Pitt is more than just 3-4 points better than Tenn (7 pt spread). RB Bell will like to reestablish his stardom on national TV, run for 150 yards to sock away the game comfortably in the last quarter
I do not want to be on Tenn and Mariotta, who is not a top pocket passer, is back there flailing away the second half, especially if his mobility is limited
Possible blowout by Pitt...
Steelers - 7, large
Too many are trying to interpret the Vegas line as though every game is a well conceived trap, the public is always being sucked in, so bet according to the lines.
I understand and sometimes take a look at that... as a minor consideration. Sometimes.
Keep in mind the favorite is usually bet the most tickets and total dollars, 55% or more. So it is not some big Vegas conspiracy. You are not a square to take a favorite.
The Steelers are a superior team O, D, QB, WRs, RB, played a much harder schedule with better results, were at home on a murderous short week Thursday night game on national TV, in 20 degree wind chill cold weather with a Super Bowl winning proven HOF QB from Ohio against a mediocre QB from Hawaii... and were only graded as 3 or 4 points better + the home field 3 or 4 points.
But some of you talk about the point spread being fishy and Vegas wanting everybody to "think, this, think that".
GL!