The
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) will get another opportunity to prove they are
legitimate Super Bowl contenders at home against their second NFC East opponent
in a month Sunday when they host the hot New York Giants (8-3) as solid
favorites.
The
Steelers have won two straight against weak foes since losing to the
NFC-leading Dallas Cowboys 35-30 in Week 10, while the Giants are riding a
six-game winning streak and have gone 5-1 against the spread during that
stretch.
Point
spread: The Steelers opened as six-point favorites; the total was 50 early in
the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark
NFL
pick, via Odds Shark computer: 25.0-18.6 Steelers (NFL picks on every game)
Why
the Giants can cover the spread
New
York remains the only team to defeat Dallas this year, even though it came way
back in Week 1. But the Giants have played as well as any team in the NFL over
the last six games, beating up on five teams with losing records in addition to
the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens.
That
should give them a lot of confidence heading into Pittsburgh, especially since
the Steelers have not won a game against a team with a winning mark since Week
4, when they blew out the Kansas City Chiefs at home.
Why
the Steelers can cover the spread
Pittsburgh
has arguably the best set of skill-position players in the league, led by
running back Le'Veon Bell. After missing the first three games of the season
due to a suspension, Bell has stepped up the last two weeks in wins over the
Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts with 266 rushing yards on 51 carries
and two of his three touchdowns.
The
Steelers have gone 10-1 straight up and 9-1-1 against the spread in their last
11 December games and they will continue to rely on Bell to carry the offense
as the weather gets colder in winter. Also, Pittsburgh sits with a 61 percent
chance to win the AFC North, according to PredictionMachine.com, and will be
looking to improve those odds even further on Sunday.......more
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