Los Angeles Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers
8:25pm ET @Heinz Field; Pittsburgh, PA.
Projected Score: Steelers: 28 / Chargers:27
Game Lines: Steelers: (-3) O/U: 51.5
TV Broadcast:
NBC, broadcast locally on WPXI-TV, with Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth as commentators and Michele Tafoya the sideline reporter. As a nationally broadcast game, it should be available in all regions.
Radio Broadcast:
Steelers Radio Network- Game coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET. Calling the game will be Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play), Tunch Ilkin (color analyst) and Craig Wolfley (sideline).
All fans in the Pittsburgh area can listen locally on WDVE 102.5 FM & WBGG 970 AM.
Injury Report:
Marcus Gilbert – Still has not been able to make it back from the knee injury. It seems as though he has suffered a setback. He is listed as out.
Morgan Burnett – Injury problems continue to plague him this year and the back injury may be a new one. He is listed as doubtful and likely will not play. It looks like Marcus Allen will get his first action of the year.
What to Watch For
1. Ben Roethlisberger
Big Ben is typically outstanding in primetime contests going 12-1 in his last 13. He will need to take much better care of the football this week to have any shot at beating the Chargers high flying offense. The match up to watch will be Rookie Safety Derwin James in coverage against Ben. This season James has 2 INTs and 9 pass defense to go along with 78 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
2. Run Game
The winner of this game will likely be whoever can control the time of possession. To succeed at this the Steelers will need to run Conner early and often. The offense is at its best when the run game is strong. On the Chargers side they will be without Melvin Gordon who has been arguably their best player this season. Austin Ekkler will be the lead back for LA tonight.
3. Turnovers
With both offenses being so dangerous it will be imperative to take care of the football. The biggest concern I have for this Steeler team is the defense and its lack of forced turnovers. To win the defense will need to be strong and create as many opportunities for the offense as possible.
Betting Advice
(VIA Covers.com)
QUICK HITTER
Phillip Rivers opened the Chargers’ last game by completing 25 consecutive passes (an NFL record) and while they didn’t score in the opening quarter in that game, they’ve been one of the best team’s in the league at getting off to good starts on the road. Only the Broncos and Chiefs score more than the Chargers’ 7.4 first-quarter road points per game.
On the other side of the ball, we know Big Ben loves being in the national spotlight, going 22-4 at Heinz Field in prime time while averaging 285.9 passing yards per game. On the surface, the Chargers have a good pass defense, but the only legit quarterbacks they have faced this year are Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff and Russell Wilson and they averaged 281.7 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in those games. Both teams will get off to a good start in this one.
Prediction: Both teams to score in the first quarter (+125)
FIRST HALF BET
The Chargers first-quarter success spills over into the second. Los Angeles ranks fourth in the league in first half scoring at a tick over 17 points per game over the opening two quarters and ranks first when it comes to first half scoring on the road at 16.8 points per game. Losing Melvin Gordon to injury will be a blow, but Austin Eckler can fill in nicely especially in the pass game. While the Steelers’ defense has good numbers against the pass as well, they haven’t faced a team in the top half in the league in passing since Week 5. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s offense really starts to get rolling in the second quarter, especially at home, where they notch 18.6 first half ppg.
Prediction: First half total – Over 25.5
PLAYER/TEAM PROP BET
In addition to setting the NFL record for consecutive completions to start a game, Rivers has been rolling since coming off the bye week. In the four games since he is completing just over 70 percent of his passes for 1,111 yards with nine touchdowns to three interceptions and a quarterback rating of 110.2. Over that span Rivers seems to have re-found his chemistry with wide out Keenan Allen. The star receiver is getting almost 10 targets a game in those games, hauling in 28 receptions for 342 yards and three scores. With Gordon out of this one, expect the Chargers to rely even more on the passing game, making Allen a good bet to go Over his reception total in this one.
Prediction: Keenan Allen Over 6.5 receptions (+100)
FULL GAME TOTAL
The Steelers get stronger the longer games go on it seems. Even more so, when they’re playing at Heinz Field. Only the Rams score more second-half points than the Steelers’ 16.8 per game. That’s thanks in large part to the fact that Big Ben is cookin’ right now. He has thrown for over 300 yards in three of his last four games, including his 462-yard performance in the loss at Denver last week.
Even so, the total in this matchup opened at 52.5 and is currently down to 51.5. That may be due to Gordon being out for the Chargers. It also may be because that even though this is a matchup of top 10 offenses that combine to score 56.6 points per game, oddsmakers may expect their top 10 defenses will clamp down in this close matchup. However, those defensive numbers may be a bit padded as both teams tend to beat up on lesser opponents.
Prediction: Over 51.5
