The worst season in Bill Belichick's 29 seasons as a head coach trudges along this week when the New England Patriots square off against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football at Acrisure Stadium. The Patriots (2-10) are one loss away from matching the most losses by any Belichick-coached team (11 by the 1995 Browns and the 2000 Patriots). The situation in New England has gotten so arduous that the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach has faced questions surrounding his future with the team beyond this season.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET. Pittsburgh is a six-point favorite in the latest Patriots vs. Steelers odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 30. Before you make any Steelers vs. Patriots picks or NFL predictions, you need to hear what football expert Emory Hunt Jr. has to say, given his mastery of picks involving New England.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette. He knows the game from a player's perspective.
In addition, Hunt has his finger on the pulse of the Patriots. He is 18-4 (+1354) on his last 22 against-the-spread NFL picks in games involving New England.
Now, Hunt has locked in on Steelers vs. Patriots from every angle and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Patriots vs. Steelers:
- Patriots vs. Steelers spread: Pittsburgh -6
- Patriots vs. Steelers over/under: 30 points
- Patriots vs. Steelers money line: Pittsburgh -268, New England +218
- PIT: LB T.J. Watt ranks second in the league in sacks (14.0)
- NE: Patriots rank fourth in run defense (88.7 yards per game)
- Patriots vs. Steelers: See picks at SportsLine
- Patriots vs. Steelers live stream: Stream TNF on Amazon
Why the Steelers can cover
The offense has done a strong job of taking care of the ball this season. Pittsburgh has committed just 10 turnovers this season, which is tied for the fewest in the league with the Bengals, Cowboys and 49ers. Pittsburgh's six interceptions this season is tied for third-fewest in the NFL.
In addition, the Steelers face a New England pass-rush that has struggled this season. The Patriots are allowing opposing passers 2.92 seconds to throw, which ranks dead-last in the league. That's especially problematic considering the team blitzes on 36.0% of opponent's dropbacks, the fifth highest percentage in the league. See which team to back here.
Why the Patriots can cover
New England faces a Pittsburgh offense that could feature a limited Najee Harris. He didn't practice this week due to a knee injury, but is active. The potential limited nature of Harris could be significant since he leads the Patriots in rushing yards (661) and rushing touchdowns (four) and is averaging a career-high 4.2 yards per rush this season.
In addition, New England has owned the series against Pittsburgh over the last decade. The Patriots have won the last two and seven of the last eight meetings against the Steelers. Last season New England limited Pittsburgh to 243 total yards and forced two turnovers in a 17-14 victory. See which team to pick here.
How to make Patriots vs. Steelers picks
Hunt has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning Under the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins Steelers vs. Patriots on Thursday Night Football, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Steelers vs. Patriots spread hits, all from the expert who is 18-4 on his last 22 spread picks in games involving New England, and find out.
