The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Oakland Raiders, Sunday Dec 6, as the Steelers look to avoid dropping four straight. Pittsburgh has taken control with five wins in the last seven meetings. NFL oddsmakers at BetUS.com have the Steelers as -14.5 point home favs over the Raiders with the over/under set at 37 points . Be sure to get your Oakland Raiders vs Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Week 13 Picks in now at BetUS.com
The Raiders (3-8) lost at Dallas 7-24 in Week 12. QB Bruce Gradkowski made 18 of 35 passes for 200 yards with a TD; overall he’s thrown for 543 yards with three TD’s and three interceptions for a 66 passer rating. RB Justin Fargas had 12 carries for 63 yards, while WR Zach Miller made five catches for 73 yards. WR Darrius Heyward-Bey caught their lone TD pass. The Raiders may need to pull out some tricks to knock off the Steelers, and RB McFadden might be the player most equipped to orchestrate such tricky plays. He has not been used often in the Wildcat, but he has experience running it from his college days at Arkansas. He could be the key to catching an aggressive Pittsburgh rush defense off guard. The Raiders are ranked 20th on the ground and they’ll be against the best team in the league against the rush . They have no pass game and if they do decide to air it out they’ll have to watch for the Steelers 13th ranked pass defense that can intercept the best of them. The Raiders have averaged 12.3ppg and allowed 19ppg in their last three games. They are 1-4 SU on the road where they average 9.8ppg and give up an average 26.2ppg.They are 5-6 ATS and 4-7 over/under.
The Steelers (6-5) lost at Baltimore 17-20 (OT) in Week 12 and have dropped to third in the AFC North. QB Ben Roethlisberger did not play due to concussion symptoms, but is due back Sunday. QB Dennis Dixon made 12 of 26 passes for 145 yards with a rushing TD and an interception. RB Rashard Mendenhall had 24 carries for 95 yards, while WR Santonio Holmes made six catches for 74 yards with a TD. Their defense had five sacks on the day. Oakland has the league's second-worst run defense, and RB Mendenhall has the ability and skills to take advantage . He has rushed for 739 yards with five TD’s since taking over the starting job in Week 4, and he figures to receive plenty of carries. The Steelers eighth ranked pass game is going to have their way against the Raiders 17th ranked pass defense. They won’t have to worry about the Raiders pass game, the Steelers defense is the third best in the league and they allow the ninth least amount of points per-game. The Steelers have averaged 17.7ppg and allowed 21.7ppg in their last three games. They are 4-1 SU at home where they average 23.4ppg and allow 17.4ppg. They are 4-7 ATS and 6-5 over/under.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Underdog is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
- Steelers are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Steelers are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games in December.
- Steelers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games.
- Steelers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as a home favorite.
Oakland Raiders vs Pittsburgh Steelers
When: Sun, Dec 6, 2009 1:00 PM ET
Li ne: BetUS.com
Pick: Steelers -14.5
Point-Spreads.com Oakland Raiders vs Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Week 13 Picks
The Bottom Line: The Steelers are going to unleash some fury. Be sure to get your Oakland Raiders vs Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Week 13 Picks in now at BetUS.com and receive up to 145% in Cash Bonuses and start winning today!
