The Pittsburgh Steelers will be aiming to strengthen their hold on the second wild card in the AFC when they visit the Cleveland Browns this week on Thursday Night Football as 2.5-point underdogs on the NFL betting odds.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 17-12 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10, extending the team’s current straight-up win streak to four games, and lifting its record to 5-4 going into Thursday night’s primetime game at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Steelers took advantage of multiple mistakes by the Rams in Sunday’s victory as 4.5-point home underdogs, which also marked their second straight outright win while pegged as underdogs on the NFL lines. The win also continued a consistent run of steady defensive play by the Steelers, with the team limiting opponents to 17 or fewer points in each of their five wins during a 5-1 run that has salvaged their NFL football season.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for a Pittsburgh squad that opened on an 0-3 SU run, and has had to make do without the services of injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. With second-year passer Mason Rudolph at the helm, the Steelers have averaged 24 points per game over their past six outings after topping 20 points just once during their first four contests, powering an increasingly reliable 5-1-1 run against the NFL spread.
The Steelers’ resurgence is also reflected on the NFL futures, where they are now firmly entrenched as +375 second favorites to complete the comeback and win the AFC North title, and also sport +2000 odds to win the AFC championship.
But steady success on the road has eluded the Steelers since last season. Pittsburgh has picked up the SU win just once in its past six contests away from Heinz Field. The team has averaged a meagre 18.8 points per game during that stretch, extending a steady run for the UNDER in totals betting, which has prevailed in eight of their past nine road dates.
However, the Steelers have kept things close in recent away outings, tallying a 24-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in their last road game in Week 6, and falling to defeat by four or fewer points in three of their past four road losses.
Browns Looking to Begin Modest Winning Streak
While the Steelers cast their gaze on a potential playoff berth, the Browns return to action looking to tally consecutive wins for the first time this season. Cleveland escaped with a narrow 19-16 win over the visiting Buffalo Bills as 3-point home chalk on Sunday afternoon, putting the brakes on a dismal four-game SU slide that has effectively taken the Browns out of playoff contention.
Offensive production continues to be a massive concern for the Browns, who have scored 19 or fewer points on six occasions while compiling a disappointing 3-6 SU record. Not surprisingly, Cleveland has emerged as a massive betting disappointment since enjoying an offseason perch as NFL betting favorites to win the AFC North.
The Browns sport a dismal 0-4-1 ATS record over their past five games, and are also winless ATS in three dates this season while pegged as home chalk, extending a woeful run of futility that has seen them go 5-14-1 ATS on the NFL odds in 20 outings as home favorites since December 2012.
Cleveland’s stretch of futility against the Steelers has also been prolific. The Browns are a dismal 0-7-1 SU in eight overall meetings with Pittsburgh since October 2014, and have earned the win in just three of 18 home dates with the Steelers since 2000. The team has also posted mixed results on the rare occasions when they have faced Pittsburgh as home favorites, claiming a decisive 31-10 win as 2.5-point chalk back in 2014 to improve to 1-2 SU and ATS in their past three.
*Odds as of November 12, 2019
The post Steelers Underdogs at Rival Browns for Thursday Night appeared first on Sports Betting Odds, Lines, News and Articles - Bovada Sportsbook.
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