.jpg "Patriots-at-Steelers-(CBS)")
The top seed in the AFC is on the line when the New England Patriots hit the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15 of the regular season. New England is a game behind Pittsburgh in the standings after a surprising upset loss to the Dolphins last time out, but can move back ahead with the win since it would give the Patriots the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Like it has been for a long time, the Patriots and Steelers are once again lining up as the two best teams in the AFC in 2017. But it remains to be seen which one gets the top seed, which is huge because it would give it home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, and in a potential rematch between these teams in the conference championship game.
Pittsburgh gets to play this game at home but the Patriots have been the more impressive team on the season and are slight favorites.
Watch this regular season Week 15 matchup live on Sunday, December 17, 2017, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Heinz Field.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New England Patriots -3
Pittsburgh Steelers +3
Over/Under 53
Odds Analysis
The Patriots are small favorites, and a slight majority of action is on the Steelers to cover as the home underdogs.
The scoring total is really high as both of these offenses are among the best in the NFL. The “over” is still the overwhelmingly more common choice as 89 percent of the action is heading that way. This one could be a real shootout. The Patriots have a poor defense, and while the Steelers have been solid on that side of the ball, they are dealing with a all-time great quarterback in Tom Brady.
Injury Report
Ryan Shazier — The Steelers linebacker suffered a scary back injury a couple weeks ago, and it’s unknown how much of a long-term effect it will have on his career and his life. Shazier was placed on injured reserve and won’t play again this season.
Joe Haden — The Pittsburgh cornerback hasn’t played in a month due to a leg injury but is set to return to practice this week. He would be a huge addition because the Patriots have an elite passing attack. Haden would be a nice cover man against Brandin Cooks on the outside.
Marcus Cannon — The Patriots’ offensive tackle was placed on injured reserve with a bothersome ankle injury. The Patriots didn’t do very well holding up against pressure on Monday night against the Dolphins and now won’t have Cannon the rest of the way.
Player To Watch
Brady — The Patriots’ star signal-caller is on the short list of MVP candidates once again, but he is coming off a really poor performance. Brady completed just 24-of-43 passes for 233 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions a week ago in a loss to the Dolphins.
His wide receivers had trouble getting open and the pressure was constant, so not much should be put on Brady’s shoulders for the performance. Tight end Rob Gronkowski was suspended for the game and that was a big loss because Brady did not have a go-to target.
Brady has still thrown for 3,865 yards with 27 touchdowns on the season against only six interceptions. He is likely going to be able to bounce back against Pittsburgh.
Free ATS Pick
Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is a superstar and running back Le’Veon Bell is one of the best in the game at his position. Pittsburgh is riding high with an 11-2 record, but there have been a lot of close calls within this streak.
The Patriots might not have as good of a record but they are the better team. Look for the offense to bounce back in a big way in this showdown. New England is the choice to both win this game and cover the spread.
NFL Odds: Patriots 30, Steelers 24
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
