One of the NFL’s best rivalries is back to being just that with the Raiders being relevant again in the AFC. It’s not Stabler and Bradshaw, or the Immaculate Reception, but it is a game that could have wild card playoff implications down the road, and when’s the last time we said that about any Raiders game?
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Pittsburgh Steelers -7
Oakland Raiders +7
Over/Under 47.5
ODDS
The line was wagered down fast after last week’s games. The Raiders looked good in a win over the Jets while the Steelers stumbled and lost Le’Veon Bell. The betting public jumped on the Raiders at +7, but be cautious. The spread came down to Pittsburgh -4.5, which seems more in line with how this one plays out.
KEY INJURIES
Khalil Mack – Rested a sore hamstring that was strained late in last week’s win over the Jets. The Raiders’ edge rusher and coach Jack Del Rio didn’t sound too concerned about the injury and said they were only being cautious. The Raiders are a relatively healthy club this late in the season and no other injuries were reported.
Le’Veon Bell – Is done for the year after shredding his knee in last week’s loss to the Bengals. DeAngelo Williams moves back into the starting role after being the No. 1 back for the first four weeks while Bell served his suspension. Jordan Todman figures to be the backup with recently signed Isaiah Pead in the mix. Fullback Will Johnson will be involved in short yardage plays.
KEY MISMATCH
Entering the season the goal for the Steelers offense was to average 30 points a game. After the first eight games, due to a myriad of injuries to their top offensive players, the Steelers rank 22nd in the NFL in scoring at just 21.0 points per game. With a shaky performance from Ben Roethlisberger in his return against the Bengals, look for the Steelers to try some different things to jump-start the passing game. That could include more no-huddle formations, something Roethlisberger says he enjoys. The Steelers ran the no-huddle for seven snaps in the first quarter of the Bengals game, including three on their only touchdown drive, and totaled 147 yards on 19 snaps in the no-huddle for the game, an average of 7.7 yards per play. Considering the Steelers averaged 5.3 yards per play for the game overall, it’s easy to see why offensive coordinator Todd Haley would give Roethlisberger the green light to use it more against the Raiders.
KEY STAT
22.0 – Pittsburgh’s fifth-highest quarterback sack total. Oakland is fourth in the league in sacks allowed, yielding just 10 through seven games.
BETTING ANGLE
Pittsburgh’s loss to the Bengals last week put them 3.5 games out of first place, likely ending any chance they had to win the AFC North. Even though Oakland has exceeded expectations, the 7-0 start by Denver gives the Raiders little chance to win the AFC West. Both Pittsburgh and Oakland are leading candidates to earn a wild card spot, placing extra importance on this game. The Raiders enter the weekend at No. 5 in the AFC, followed by the Jets. Pittsburgh would replace Oakland in the playoff picture with a victory, but a win for the Raiders would put them in a strong playoff position. They have the tie-breaker over the Jets with last week’s win and will put more distance between themselves and Pittsburgh with a victory Sunday. Oakland has a talented offense and can hang with most NFL teams, including Pittsburgh. The Steelers have the edge at home and their offense should be able to score with Big Ben getting that first game back out of the way.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Raiders looked downright scary the last two games, dismantling San Diego and the Jets. Derek Carr has developed into one of the best young quarterbacks in the game and he’s surrounded by a bunch of playmakers and the offense has clicked. While Oakland is above .500 this late in a NFL season for the first time in, like, forever, we still have to be cautious. They did lose to the Bears after all, and were silenced by two of the AFC’s best in Cincinnati and Denver. While the Steelers have had a plethora of injuries on offense, the D is healthy and imposing. They have an athletic front seven that gets after the quarterback and those types of defenses have posed problems for Oakland. I also like the Steelers to be more efficient on offense against a Raiders team that has some holes in the secondary. Roethlisberger got that first game back out of the way and he’s ready to deal. Watch for Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant to have big games and Big Ben will direct the Steelers back into the playoff picture with a home win.
Pittsburgh 36, Oakland 31
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