The Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) are set to welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to Pittsburgh. This pivotal Sunday Night matchup kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET and NBC is scheduled to televise the action.
Los Angeles Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Preview
The Chargers approach this Sunday AFC matchup as the underdog and they’re currently being given 3 points. The Chargers are also receiving +130 moneyline odds while the Steelers are -150. Should one team finds paydirt early it’ll result in a worthy in-game betting opportunity. Vegas has placed the over/under (O/U) at 51 points.
The opening line was initially -4 and the game’s total was set originally at 52.5, so sharp bettors have been hammering both the Chargers and the under.
Each team has posted a good return this season as the Chargers have gained 2.6 units and the Steelers are up 2.5 units.
The Chargers are 8-3 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Steelers are 7-3-1 SU.
Los Angeles Chargers +3.5 +160 ov 51.5
Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5 -180 un 51.5
Odds Provided by BetDSI.eu
The Chargers are coming off a resounding 45-10 victory over Arizona in Week 12 where Philip Rivers completed 28 passes on 29 attempts for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Melvin Gordon III (61 rushing yards on 10 attempts, two TDs) and Justin Jackson (57 yards on seven carries) led the ground attack while Austin Ekeler (10 receptions, 68 yards) and Keenan Allen (seven catches, 72 yards, one TD) handled the receiving duties in the win.
In Week 12, Denver got the victory against this Pittsburgh crew by a score of 24-17. The Steelers defensive unit let the Broncos rush for 124 yards on 23 attempts, along with one rushing TD. Phillip Lindsay had a solid outing in the win for Denver, recording 110 rushing yards and a score on 14 attempts. For Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger completed 41-of-56 passes for 462 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. James Conner (53 yards on 13 rush attempts) handled the running attack as JuJu Smith-Schuster (13 receptions, 189 yards, one TD) and Antonio Brown (nine catches, 67 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the loss.
Los Angeles has run the ball on 44.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Pittsburgh has a rush percentage of 34.0 percent. The Chargers have rushed for 129 yards per game and have 10 scores on the ground this year. The Steelers are averaging 96 rushing yards per game and have 13 total rush TDs.
The Bolts offensive scheme has averaged 284 yards in the air overall and has 26 passing TDs so far. The Steelers have recorded a superb 335 pass yards per game and have 25 total pass scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, Los Angeles has allowed 108 rush yards and 245 pass yards per game. The Pittsburgh D has allowed 247.5 yards per game to opposing passers and 101.8 yards per game on the ground. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to opponents, as the Bolts have given up an ANY/A of 5.81 to opposing QBs, while the Steelers are yielding an ANY/A of 5.99.
Offensively, Rivers has put up 2,718 passing yards this year. He’s completed 70 percent of his 301 attempts with 24 passing scores and only four interceptions. Rivers has a sparkling 9.21 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 7.97 over the last two games.
We expect the Chargers to control tempo by pounding the defense with their running backs. Backfield mates Melvin Gordon III (733 rush yards, nine rush TDs, 366 receiving yards, four receiving TDs) and Austin Ekeler (380 rush yards, one rush TD, 314 receiving yards, three receiving TDs) have delivered in the Los Angeles offensive scheme.
On the other sideline, Ben Roethlisberger has completed 285-of-425 passes for 3,350 yards, 22 TDs and nine INTs. Roethlisberger’s ANY/A sits at 7.50 for the year and 5.44 over his last two games.
The Steelers should also look to control the clock by turning to their backfield. In addition to JuJu Smith-Schuster (951 receiving yards, four receiving TDs), Antonio Brown (757 receiving yards and 10 receiving TDs) and James Conner (824 rush yards, 10 rush TDs, 429 receiving yards, one TD) have seen a lot of touches recently.
RELATED: Week 13 NFL Betting Odds and Predictions
NFL Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
SU Winner – Steelers, ATS Winner – Chargers, O/U – Under
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Team Betting Trends
As a team, Los Angeles has rushed for 4.7 yards per attempt across its past three games and 4.9 over its last two.
Pittsburgh has averaged 4.2 yards per carry over its last three outings and only 3.7 over its past two.
The Pittsburgh offense has lost seven fumbles this season while Los Angeles has lost four.
Los Angeles has won eight of its last nine games SU, with a one-point loss to Denver on November 18th representing the only defeat over that stretch.
The Chargers offense has produced nine pass plays of 40 yards or more, while the Steelers have accounted for 11 such plays.
The Los Angeles defense has allowed six pass plays of 40+ yards, while Pittsburgh has given up four such plays.
The Los Angeles offense has created 15 rushing plays of 20+ yards, while Pittsburgh has created eight such runs.
The Chargers defense has allowed six rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Steelers have given up eight such runs.
The Pittsburgh defensive unit has sacked opposing QBs 39 times this year. Los Angeles has registered just 28 sacks.
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