Titans Steelers Betting – Steelers Bounce Back At Home, Send Titans Packing

Sports betting players have been wondering what is wrong with Pittsburgh this season, and the Steelers got banged up against Houston. But they’ve got the heart of champions and are returning home, where they have been excellent as of late and they’ll use the inspiration of their fans to carry them to a victory over Tennessee.

What: NFL Betting
When: Sunday, October 9th, 1:00 PM ET
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers

Why Bet On Tennessee Titans (3-1 SU, 2-2 ATS)

Matt Hasselbeck continues to impress after a 31-13 win on the road in Cleveland, going 10-of-20 for 220 yards and three touchdowns, which overshadowed his lone interception. Hasselbeck also finally got some help from Chris Johnson, who had 23 carries for 101 yards, and the Titans will need Johnson to get back to his best after losing receiver Kenny Britt for the season. Tennessee got big plays from tight end Jared Cook (an 80-yard touchdown catch) and Nate Washington (31.0 yards per catch, and this game was all about offensive players stepping up. Defensively, the Titans were solid, holding the Browns to a pair of field goals in the first half, and their big lead allowed Tennessee to force Cleveland into a passing attack (Cleveland attempted 61 passes). Jordan Babineaux ran a pick back 97 yards for a score for the Titans.

The Titans gave the Browns three first downs due to penalties, and a better team may have made them pay for that. Tennessee will also need a consistent running game with Johnson, and this could be their big chance as the Pittsburgh rush defense is struggling badly heading into this game. Hasselbeck is having a great start, but he’s not a quarterback that you want to carry you through a game. The Titans have a big chance to show that they’ll be a factor in the AFC this year, even though Pittsburgh is off to a subpar start, because they’re still the Steelers and a win for Tennessee would give them a lot of confidence.

Why Bet On Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS)

It wasn’t a pretty Week 4 for Pittsburgh in a 17-10 loss in Houston, as they managed just 296 yards of offense, committing the game’s only turnover, and they gave up 180 yards on the ground. If there was one thing you knew about Pittsburgh, it’s that they would be able to stop the run, but Houston ran through them with little to no resistance. Ben Roethlisberger was 16-of-30 for 206 yards and a pick, but he was sacked five times, hit many more and left Houston wearing a walking boot. Linebacker James Harrison (eye or concussion) and running back Rashard Mendenhall (hamstring) were also hurt, so check the injury reports before heading to your sportsbook.

The Steelers still averaged 5.4 yards per carry on the ground, which is encouraging, and the duo of Isaac Redman and Mewelde Moore averaged a little more than seven yards per carry, although the Texans probably didn’t plan on seeing them much. It’ll also be a surprise if Roethlisberger doesn’t play against the Texas as he played the second half of last year with a broken foot, and the Steelers made it to the Super Bowl, so plan on “Big Ben” being under center for this game. Finally, the Steelers are at home, where they’ve only played once this season and that has something to do with their strange start. The Steelers are difficult to beat at Heinz Field, thanks to their fans, who may be the best in the league and we expect them to come out with a spark on Sunday as this is a bigger game than anyone ever expected it to be. Pittsburgh desperately needs a good performance to give their fans something to cheer about.

How It Will Play Out

This game is currently off the NFL betting board as Roethlisberger’s status is still in question, but expect him to play and the Steelers to be favored at home, where they are 3-2 SU and ATS in their last five meetings with the Titans, with three games going over the posted total. Both teams rank in the top five in terms of points allowed (Tennessee is first, Pittsburgh is fifth), so don’t expect a shootout at Heinz Field.

Is Tennessee as good as they’ve shown? Is Pittsburgh as bad as they’ve shown? These are the questions to ask heading into this game, and the answer to both is “no”. Outside of a great win over Baltimore, the Titans lost in Jacksonville, had a tough time against Denver and beat Cleveland. The Steelers were blown out in Baltimore, edged Indianapolis on the road and rolled over Seattle in a game they needed to dominate. It’s not time to throw dirt on Pittsburgh’s coffin yet; they’ll come to play and give the Titans fits in a huge online betting victory.