The Pittsburgh Steelers might very well be fortunate to be in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, but if they can't get their banged up offensive stars back on the field, they're going to get run off the field at Mile High on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Pittsburgh Steelers +6.5
Denver Broncos -6.5
Over/Under Off
ODDS ANALYSIS
As of Monday evening, lines have only softly opened for the final game of the second round of the playoffs. This spread opened at -7 on Saturday and got as high as -7.5. However, as the hours pass and the likelihood growing that Ben Roethlisberger will indeed play, the number has come down to Denver -6.5.
WHEN THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS HAVE THE BALL
Clearly, all of the focus for live bettors is going to be on this side of the ball. The Denver defense is virtually impossible to run on, and Fitzgerald Toussaint just isn't going to be able to get anything going behind a beaten up offensive line.
So what's left? Big Ben and his banged up shoulder will have to do this all by himself. We've seen Roethlisberger win huge games in huge spots in the past without a lot of help around him, but this might be a feat too big for him. Clearly, he's going to have to be able to throw the ball better than he did at the end of the game against Cincinnati when he admitted he couldn't get the ball more than 10 or 15 yards down the field.
Antonio Brown is, of course, another huge question mark after the shot he took at the end of that game in Cincinnati. He'll have to get through concussion protocol to play in this one, and if he isn't on the field, it's going to really put a lot of pressure on Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton. Neither man is a prototypical possession receiver, but just chucking it deep against such a talented secondary isn't going to work either.
WHEN THE DENVER BRONCOS HAVE THE BALL
The big question that we have when the Broncos have the ball is whether Peyton Manning caught lightning in a bottle when he came off the bench in Week 17 to beat the Chargers or whether he's still just an aging quarterback with a wet noodle of an arm.
The one thing that live bettors will have to recognize is that Manning's head is stronger than it's ever been. No one diagnoses defenses as well as the future Hall of Famer. He's not going to air it out even though both Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas can run with the best, but 10 play drives could be the norm, especially against a defense which has exceeded expectations recently.
Mother Nature could play her role here as well. The cold weather has really hurt offenses thus far in the postseason, and the conditions are once again going to be frigid in Denver. It certainly won't be as cold as it was in Minneapolis, but the Broncos are the ones who are going to be most hampered by the weather.
Manning's arm isn't good as it is, and if you throw in some windy conditions, he won't stand a chance to throw the ball up against it. The quarters will go fast if there's wind in Manning's face, and live bettors should be prepared for the elements heading into the game as well.
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Click here and start wagering today! The Divisional Round game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos is scheduled for Sunday, January 17, 2016, at 4:40 p.m. ET at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
