The New York Giants have won six in a row heading in to this week’s showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Can the G-men keep on rolling? Or will Ben Roethlisberger and company end their win streak with a chance to push their way back in to the playoff picture in the AFC?
Moneyline: Pittsburgh -260
Handicap/Spread Odds: PIT -6
Total O/U: 49.5
Last 5 Meetings: (Road/Home – Spread/Total)
| 11/04/12 | PIT 24 – NYG 20 | PIT 3.5 | U 48 |
| 10/26/08 | NYG 21 – PIT 14 | NYG 3 | U 41 |
| 12/18/04 | PIT 33 – NYG 30 | NYG 10 | O 35.5 |
| 12/10/00 | PIT 10 – NYG 30 | NYG -3.5 | O 35 |
| 10/23/94 | PIT 10 – NYG 6 | PIT 1 | U 36.5 |
On The Giants Side of the Ball (8-3 Record, 6-4-1 ATS)
The Giants almost convince some bettors that they could potentially lose to the Cleveland Browns last week before coming alive in the fourth quarter and making sure their opponent stayed winless on Sunday. Eli Manning completed just 15-of-27 passes for 194 yards but he did finish with three touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over. Manning will need to be a lot more efficient this week while continuing to play mistake-free football. Odell Beckham Jr. will be motivated to produce another big game against the Pittsburgh defense after he finished with six catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns last week, so it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers he puts up.
The New York defense absolutely rocked Josh McCown to the tune of six sacks and three forced fumbles and they will undoubtedly try to bring a ton of pressure in order to get Ben Roethlisberger off his game this week.
The Giants are on a hot streak with six straight wins but at a closer look, they haven’t had the most daunting of schedules. Their last three wins have come at the hands of the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears. Those three teams are a combined 5-29-1 this season. Without question, the Steelers are going to be the toughest opponent the Giants have faced in a long time.
Last 5 Results:
| 11/27/16 | @ CLE | W 27-13 | W -6.5 | U 46.6 |
| 11/20/16 | CHI | W 22-16 | L -7 | U 41.5 |
| 11/14/16 | CIN | W 21-20 | W 1 | U 49.5 |
| 10/06/13 | PHI | W 28-23 | W -3 | O 48 |
| 10/23/16 | @ LA | W 17-10 | W -2.5 | O 46 |
On The Steelers Side of the Ball (6-5 Record, 6-5 ATS)
Roethlisberger threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s Thanksgiving Day win over the Indianapolis Colts with all three of those scores coming off connections with star wide receiver Antonio Brown. Brown will be just as motivated as Beckham to produce a big performance in the head-to-head matchup so it will be interesting to see how he and Big Ben fare against the Giants. Meanwhile, Le’Veon Bell torched the Colts for 120 yards and a touchdown last week and he could be the x-factor in this game as he looks to help keep New York’s pass rush at bay by running the football. The Steelers defense did a good job last week against Scott Tolzien, but will obviously face a much tougher test this week against Manning and the Giants.
Home-field advantage could be a key in this spot. While the Steelers are 3-2 at home this year, their two home losses came to the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys, two teams that are a combined 19-3. The Steelers score almost 10 points per game more at home than on the road.
Last 5 Results:
| 11/24/16 | @ IND | W 28-27 | W -8 | U 50 |
| 11/20/16 | @ CLE | W 24-9 | W -8 | U 45.5 |
| 11/13/16 | DAL | L 30-35 | L -3 | O 50.5 |
| 11/06/16 | @ BAL | L 14-21 | L -3.5 | U 46 |
| 10/23/16 | NE | L 16-27 | L 7.5 | U 49 |
Quick Analysis
Pittsburgh is 7-2 in its last nine home games with a 5-3-1 mark against the spread. However, the Giants have been pretty good against the spread in Pittsburgh with a 3-1 mark since 2000. The 5.5-point line might be a little higher than some expected, especially considering New York is 5-1-1 against the spread in its last seven games overall.
Prediction
The Giants have the offensive firepower to put up some decent numbers against the Pittsburgh defense and as long as they play mistake-free football they will have a legitimate chance to win this game straight up. The Steelers are coming off big wins over the Browns and Colts but they had gone 0-4 against the spread in their previous four games and it won’t be a surprise if New York keeps this game close and covers the 5.5 points on the road.
Pick: NYG +5.5
Note: Lines subject to change leading up to kick-off, so please be aware of the possibility of line movements.
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