Steelers Now
The oddsmakers don’t believe things are going to get any easier for the struggling Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their fifth loss in the last seven games in Week 13, falling to the Buffalo Bills 26-7. Unfortunately, the oddsmakers don’t expect their losing streak to end anytime soon.
The Steelers have opened up as 6.5-point underdogs for their Week 14 game against the Baltimore Ravens, according to odds posted by DraftKings Sportsbook. Pittsburgh has a +260 money line, and the over/under total for the game is 43.5 points.
It shouldn’t come as a major surprise given how Pittsburgh has been playing. The offense continues to struggle to find consistency while the defense is making NFL history for all of the wrong reasons.
On Sunday, the Bills racked up 249 yards rushing, which was the most at Pittsburgh by an opposing team since 1975 (Buffalo – 310 yards on 9/28/75).
“I’ve never seen a team run the same play as much as they ran it today and have as much success as they had,” Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt said. “I mean, I’m out of words for it.”
To make matters worse, the team also lost two starters during the matchup. Linebacker Patrick Queen (hip) and cornerback James Pierre (head injury) both suffered injuries and did not return, putting their statuses up in the air moving forward.
“Pat Queen had a contusion,” head coach Mike Tomlin said in his postgame press conference. “He wasn’t able to return so he wasn’t allowed to come back in. James Pierre is in the concussion protocol.”
Things aren’t going to get any easier for the Steelers, either, with the Ravens coming to town and the chance to take back the lead in the AFC North.
Baltimore is currently averaging the fifth-most rushing yards per game (136.8) in the league with running back Derrick Henry starting to hit his stride late in the season.
Only time will tell if Pittsburgh will be able to slow down Henry, but it wasn’t able to the last time these two teams met in the wild-card round of the playoffs last season, when he rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns to send the Steelers home.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Open as Heavy Underdogs vs. Ravens in Week 14
