Will the “Just When Kids” be able to overcome the obstacle?
The 7-6-1 Pittsburgh Steelers team is perplexing bettors from the Mountain State as they prepare to invade the AFC’s top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
As soon as you consider them a dominant force in this game, another handicapping perspective emerges.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have emerged victorious against AFC rivals such as the Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens, who hold top-seeded positions in their respective divisions.
Despite their season appearing to be dragging on, they find themselves astonishingly only half a game behind the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, who currently lead the AFC North with an 8-6 record. The Bengals and Ravens will face off against each other this week.
There will be someone departing with a total of seven defeats.
The Cleveland Browns, currently at 7-7, have fallen to last place due to their last-minute loss against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night. This defeat allowed the Steelers to move up right behind them in the standings.
The race is up for grabs, and the question remains: Can Pittsburgh secure a significant victory on the road in December? It’s a daunting challenge, but the Steelers persistently remain in contention.
Pittsburgh Steelers Odds At WV Sportsbooks
“The Pittsburgh team’s ability to revive themselves in numerous games is truly bewildering to me,” expressed Johnny Avello, Director of Race and Sportsbook Operations for DraftKings, during an interview with Play WV. Avello further commented on the quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, stating, “Roethlisberger seems to have lost his former prowess and is now merely a seasoned player on the field, unable to replicate past achievements. However, despite this, the team remains in contention.”
Avello’s perspective is based on significant Steelers comebacks.
Pittsburgh not only overcame a 13-3 halftime deficit to defeat the Titans last week, but it also mounted an impressive comeback from a 29-0 third-quarter deficit against the Minnesota Vikings just one week prior.
One week prior to this, the Steelers made an impressive comeback against the Ravens, and they can also attribute their victory over the Bills in the season opener to their ability to recover from a 10-0 halftime deficit.
Pittsburgh has also experienced the flip side of games like these.
Last month, the Steelers had a four-game winning streak and appeared poised to make a significant advance, but their progress was halted when they tied the previously winless Detroit Lions.
Pittsburgh managed to seize the lead against the Los Angeles Chargers while playing away, but unfortunately, their hopes were dashed as they conceded a last-minute touchdown and suffered a defeat.
And now its winning percentage is above .500 once more.
Last week, did Pittsburgh reach its peak? Or is there still potential for it to take a major leap forward?
Betting On Steelers-Chiefs
Like other sports, bettors nowadays need to consider COVID-19 factors before placing their bets.
Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, star players of the Kansas City Chiefs, were added to the COVID-19 list on Tuesday, but the extent of their condition remains uncertain. Their potential absence would have a notable impact.
Keep a close eye on tight end Pat Freiermuth when evaluating individual players. Known for his reliability in crucial moments, Freiermuth recently experienced a concussion. He has been a vital asset for Roethlisberger, making important catches on third downs. If he is unable to play, it would negatively impact the team’s offensive performance.
Pittsburgh has a clear plan for running back Najee Harris, ensuring he receives ample opportunities to make an impact. They aim to provide him with 20 touches, utilizing both rushing and passing plays.
DraftKings Sportsbook WV offers a prop bet where you can bet on Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Steelers’ Roethlisberger to accumulate 600 yards or higher. This bet has odds of +130.
With a current total of 520 yards per game combined by the teams, it is anticipated that there will be an exciting shootout.
The rush defense of the Steelers is among the poorest in the league.
Be prepared for Kansas City to put this formula to the test using Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams. However, bettors should be cautious as this is a committee-style backfield.
With 30 touchdown passes, Mahomes poses a significant threat in terms of both yardage and touchdown totals as a quarterback.
Should they choose to participate in the game, Kelce proves to be a formidable tight end with eight touchdowns under his belt. Hill, on the other hand, not only poses a significant threat with his deep-ball prowess but is also a favorable choice for those betting on the first score. This season, Hill has successfully reached the end zone nine times.
However, if they are no longer present, that would be a significant and transformative shift.
Steelers-Chiefs Props At WV Sportsbooks
The DraftKings return will be +130 if Pittsburgh manages to score two or more touchdowns.
Is it possible for both teams to score more than 20 points? The odds for that happening are +170.
Is it possible for Pittsburgh to score over 17.5 points? The odds for that are -110.
Pittsburgh rarely achieves the milestone of being the first team to score 10 points in a game. However, if they manage to do so in this particular scenario, the reward is a +195 payoff.
Watt Leading Sack Pack
A 1.5-sack lead could be equivalent to having a significant advantage in soccer.
T.J. Watt, currently at the top of the NFL with 17.5 sacks, has odds of -200 at DraftKings to secure the highest sack count in the league. Robert Quinn from the Chicago Bears follows closely with 16 sacks and odds of +300. Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns, who trails Watt by 2.5 sacks, has odds of +400.
Supporters of Watt would patiently observe whether the gap narrows or becomes equal, as it would positively impact Watt’s statistics.
Watt’s prominence is such that he is featured as a game prop for Sunday.
The betting odds for a Watt full sack and a touchdown by Kelce of Kansas City are +165, which reflects a considerable regard for Watt’s abilities. Other individual props involving defensive players will likely have even higher betting odds.