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Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Picks & Spread

Written by Jimmy Boyd

browns steelers 101409 The 1-4 Cleveland Browns take on the 3-2 defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field this Sunday in a Week 6 AFC North Division battle. Last week, the Browns picked up their first win of the season 6-3 over the Bills. The Steelers got over the .500 mark with a 28-20 victory over the Lions. These teams last met in Week 17 of last season and it wasn’t pretty for Cleveland as it was blanked 31-0. In fact, the Steelers have defeated the Browns 11 straight times to take a 59-55 lead in the all-time series. NFL lines makers have no doubt Pittsburgh makes it 12 in a row, listing the Steelers as 14-point favorites with the total set at 38.

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The biggest news heading into this week’s contest is the expected return of Steelers Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu. Polamalu has not seen the field since suffering a knee injury in Week 1. His absence has taken a big toll on the Steelers defense. Pittsburgh boasted the No. 1 defense in the NFL against the pass last season but that unit has slipped to No. 14 this season with Polamalu’s absence. The Steelers have missed his big play ability, whether it be his jarring hits or his athletic interceptions.

I’ll also be watching linebacker James Harrison Sunday. He is tied for first in the NFL with 22 sacks since the beginning of the 2008 season. When he pressures the QB effectively, Polamalu has been ready to take advantage with a big interception in the past.

The Steelers have done most of their damage through the air on the offensive side of the football and that’s fine with as well as QB Ben Roethlisberger has been playing. The career 62.4 percent passer, is completing his passes at an awesome 73.8 percent rate to lead the NFL this season. He also ranks second in the AFC with 1,470 passing yards. When Roethlisberger plays well, the Steelers just don’t lose. In fact, they are 31-2 when Big Ben has a passer rating of 100 or higher. Roethlisberger we’ll have to be dialed in this week against a Cleveland defense which ranks 10th in the NFL against the pass. It is worth noting that the Browns are 2-8-1 against the spread in the last 11 meetings in this series. If you like Pittsburgh to run up the score this week, bet the Steelers at -14 at BetUS.

For Cleveland to have a shot to pull of the upset, it is going to need a strong performance from QB Derek Anderson. Anderson is coming off the worst statistical game of his career, completing only 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards and an interception. Somehow, despite his terrible performance, the Browns were able to win last week. You can be rest assured they won’t if he puts together another game like that against Pittsburgh.

Anderson will face a stiff pass rush so opening holes in the running game for Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison will be vital to keeping Pittsburgh honest. It is worth noting that the Steelers are an awful 3-10 against the number in their last 13 games as a favorite of 10.5 or more points. If you think Cleveland can keep the score within this big number, bet the Browns at +14 at BetUS.

World champion handicapper Jimmy Boyd cashed in big last Sunday with his NFL Game of the Month on the Arizona Cardinals. Don’t miss any of his NFL expert picks this week!

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