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Detroit is at home but Pittsburgh is one of the best teams in the NFL. The Lions hope to catch the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings in subsequent weeks and this would be a huge win to get. The Steelers, meanwhile, are pushing for a top seed in the AFC playoffs and would love to pick up a quality road win in this one.
Watch this regular season Week 8 matchup live on Sunday, October 29, 2017, at 5:30 p.m. ET at Ford Field.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Pittsburgh Steelers -3
Detroit Lions +3
Over/Under 44.5
Odds Analysis
The Steelers are road favorites in this one, but not overwhelmingly so. The betting public likes Pittsburgh to cover this spread, as more than 66 percent of the action is on the Steelers to win by more than a field goal.
The scoring total is really low. The “over” is the much more popular choice early on as nearly 82 percent of the action believes the teams will combine for at least 45 points in this game.
Player To Watch
Martavis Bryant -- The Steelers wideout has not had a huge impact this season and he is getting frustrated. Bryant wants to get traded from the team to a place where he can catch more passes, although coach Mike Tomlin said a trade is not going to happen.
The Steelers have a star wide receiver in Antonio Brown and they also run the ball a lot with star Le’Veon Bell. Bryant is a talented player with a great size and speed combination but Pittsburgh has not been able to get him very involved.
This could be a distraction that is more trouble than its worth if Bryant keeps voicing his displeasure. It will be interesting to see if Bryant gets more passes on Sunday against Detroit or if the team reduces his load even more.
Key Stat
16.6. That’s the points allowed per game by the Steelers this year. Pittsburgh has its biggest names on offense but it is the other side of the ball that is leading the way this year. The Lions have a standout quarterback in Matthew Stafford but its running game is limited.
If Ameer Abdullah can get going on the ground, then it will give the Lions more chances to throw the ball effectively. The duo of Golden Tate and Marvin Jones are talented wide receivers, while tight end Eric Ebron has improved this year.
The Lions usually play well at home and will need to score its fair share of points in this one in order to pull the upset, but it won’t be easy against a Steelers defense that is playing well.
Free ATS Pick
The Steelers have been a bit inconsistent thus but are still 5-2 on the season and have won three of four games away from home. The trip of Brown, Bell and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is battle-tested and they won’t be rattled by the crowd.
The NFC North is up for grabs with Aaron Rodgers’ injury, and the Lions are talented enough to make a move up the standings. However, this one is going to be a setback. The Steelers are the more balanced team and should come away with the victory. However, it is going to be by a whisker and the Lions are the choice to cover.
The “over” is the call on the scoring total.
NFL Odds: Steelers 24, Lions 23
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