Cleveland at Pittsburgh

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the Cleveland Browns with their #1 draft choice Johnny Manziel. He has yet to show signs he is ready, so the offense is not going to belong to him just yet. Instead they go with Brian Hoyer who has proven he is a sub-par quarterback. The Browns will also miss the services of Josh Gordon who will be suspended for the entire year. That being said, the Browns have one thing and that is a strong defense. The problem last year was that the defense got worn down by the end of the season because they were simply on the field too long. And, injuries played a role as well. Most have forgotten that a healthy Cleveland team got off to a 3-2 start last year, and had the look of a team that could play to at least an 8-8 record, but that all fell apart with injuries. Pittsburgh's key player on offense is Big Ben, and on defense it is Palamalu. Pittsburgh's problem is that their leaders are becoming older, and are starting to break down and miss time. They don't have any outstanding receivers, but they are at least adequate, and Big Ben has the penchant for making the big impossible play as well as the one that leaves you shaking your head. The Steelers have gotten off to slow starts as a rule, and their September track record shows them 0-5 ATS in their last five September games. Pittsburgh has also played to a 14-5 mark to the UNDER in their last 19 home games, where kicking is very challenging. The Browns own an 8-3 mark to the UNDER in the last 11 season openers, and the UNDER is also 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings. It's risky business taking Pittsburgh as a big early-season favorite. Take the points on Cleveland and the UNDER.