Steelers vs Lions Odds - Steelers to make it two straight with win over Lions
The Steelers vs Lions odds is a tale of two teams who had truly opposite seasons last year. The Steelers were the Super Bowl champions while the Lions were the first winless team in NFL history (16-game season). While the Lions are better this year, they may be without starting quarterback Matt Stafford, and the Steelers are regaining their swagger. Online betting fans should expect them to win handily in this game.
Steelers vs Lions odds: Steelers -10.5
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Steelers vs Lions odds maker breakdown: The Storyline
The Steelers avoided the Super Bowl hangover talk with a big win on Sunday Night Football. It turned out to be a little closer than Steelers fans wanted, but the bottom line is that the Steelers are 2-2 with a great chance to be above .500 this week. For the Lions, they were gaining confidence after their first win in a long time. They were ahead in Chicago last week, but then Stafford dislocated his knee and it’s unclear how long he’ll be out. With Stafford, it looked like the Lions were at least turning things around. Without him, the Lions have to be careful that their train stays on the tracks. Betting Edge: Steelers
Steelers vs Lions odds maker breakdown: Offense
The Steelers offense hasn’t been a problem at all this season. Ben Roethlisberger has been moving the ball on everyone and the passing weapons - including newfound wideout Mike Wallace - are a handful. If running back Rashard Mendenhall can carry over his big performance against the Chargers to this game, the Lions could be in big trouble. Meanwhile, NFL betting fans will have to temper their expectations if Stafford is out of the lineup. The Lions have some weapons on offense now but it runs differently when Daunte Culpepper under center. Culpepper is fumble-prone and the team doesn’t rally around him like they do Stafford. Betting Edge: Steelers
Steelers vs Lions odds maker breakdown: Defense
The Steelers defense has been solid this year, but they haven’t been dominant. One lingering concern is that they still struggle to hold leads. Maybe against the Chargers and Bears that can be a problem, but against the Lions, it won’t be. The Steelers should have a superior performance this week. The Lions defense has been respectable at times, but they are still the same old Lions. They have better parts in place but they have still given up 134 points through the first four games of the year. They don’t have any dominant players on the defensive line, which translates into a much easier time for opposing offenses to do whatever they want. Betting Edge: Steelers
Steelers vs Lions odds maker breakdown: Notable Injuries
The injury to Stafford obviously hurts the Lions chances in this game. He was starting to play much better over the last two games and he was putting his team in position to win. Culpepper is a fill-in at best. Three other key Lions members - Calvin Johnson (quad), Kevin Smith (shoulder) and Ernie Sims (shoulder) - are all playing through nagging injuries. On the Steelers side, they have played without safety Troy Polamalu since Week 1 and he has returned to limited practice. Keep an eye on him to see if he plays. Betting Edge: Steelers
Steelers vs Lions odds for total: 44
Stafford may hurt the Lions’ chances, but Culpepper should help the over. Culpepper likes to take shots downfield and he is turnover-prone himself, so his mistakes could lead to Steelers points. Both defenses are struggling right now so the over is the better play. Pick: Over 44
Steelers vs Lions betting breakdown: Outlook and Pick
The sportsbook odds makers have made the Steelers a huge road favorite this week, and while part of that is due to reputation, part of it is because Stafford probably won’t play. The Steelers offense is on fire right now and the Lions won’t be able to match points. STAN’S PICK: Steelers -10.5
For daily sports betting picks and analysis, check out the betonline.com Betting Edge. There’s also plenty more numbers on the Steelers vs Lions odds in our stats center. Stan Simmons is one of betonline.com's NFL experts.
