New Orleans at Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a major dissapointment, to say the least. Who would have guessed they'd be sitting at 2-6 right now? Not many people. We think they have been under tremendous pressure the past few games, trying to dig out of a hole. They probably didn't want to admit it but they were in panic mode, realizing they may miss the playoffs. Well, they have pretty much sealed their fate. Now the pressure is off a bit. And remember, they were in a similar position last year when people wrote them off after week 5. They finished out the year on an 8-3 run. We're not saying they are playoff bound but we are saying this team is NOT as bad a 2-6 record would indicate. The oddsmakers agree, posting them as a 4.5 point favorite against a 6-2 opponent. That should tell you something. They lost last week thanks to six turnovers! And, they still only lost by 11 points. They've played well at home this year notching victories against Miami and Kansas City. They are 25-6 ATS the last 31 vs. teams with a winnning percentage of 75%+ and they are 8-1 ATS the past three seasons as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points. The Steelers qualify for one of our strongest NFL systems that backs home favorites off a loss facing a team off a win. The Steelers must win this game if they have any remaining hope. We think they come in, play loose and get the win and cover.