Jacksonville Jags v. Pittsburgh Steelers Odds
We expect a lot of NFL betting on the Jacksonville Jags v. Pittsburgh Steelers betting odds this weekend as it’s the marquee matchup taking place Saturday night, January 5th at 8 PM EST. If you plan on wagering on this event and want the best chance to win your bet then we strongly suggest you get signed up for Jimmy Boyd’s NFL expert picks package. We know football unlike any other handicapper in the nation, so the side that we take is more often than not the side you are going to want to be on. Of course, we know that not everyone wants help and some of you like handicapping the games on your own, and if that’s the case we hope this preview leads you to the right decision.
Jacksonville is a team that almost no one in the AFC really wants to mess with if they don’t have to. Not counting their loss against Houston in the finale, a game in which they really had nothing to play for, the team had won 6 of their last 7 games SU and won all 7 games ATS to put their record at 11-5 SU and 11-5 ATS. The only loss came at Indianapolis by three points on December 2nd. They have been doing a pretty good job at beating up the rest of the league by scoring points and holding their opponents down. The Jags are averaging 25.7 ppg while holding opponents to just 19.0 ppg. Even though Jacksonville has a better record, their two losses to Indy put them in the Wild Card instead of winning the division, and since Pittsburgh won the North they get the home field here. That shouldn’t concern the Jags backers though as Jacksonville came in here on the 16th of December and beat the Steelers 29-22. The ground game is tough for the Jags as they are averaging 149.4 ypg while their defense holds opposing rushers to right at 100 ypg.
Pittsburgh started the season off strongly, but down the stretch seemed to fall apart, which injuries played a big part. The Steelers have lost three of their last four and have covered only twice in their last eight games to finish at 10-6 SU and 8-8 ATS. They are averaging 24.6 ppg on offense and allowing only 16.8 ppg defensively. The ground game plays a big roll in the offense as Pitt is averaging 135.3 ypg on the ground, but with Najeh Davenport replacing Willie Parker, who was lost for the season to injury, we don’t know if that number will fully apply. The offensive line is banged up and there is only one fullback on the depth chart which further will hamper the ground and pound. The defense though is what has made the Steelers season and they are going to have to play tough again this weekend. Only allowing 89.9 ppg on the ground and 176.5 ypg through the air gives your offense a little bit of room to breath.
Interesting Trends:
Jacksonville is 7-1 ATS over their last eight games
The total has gone OVER in the Jags’ last five games
The Jags are 6-2 ATS over their last eight road games
Jacksonville is 5-0 ATS in their last five games at Pittsburgh
The UNDER is 8-4 in Jacksonville’s last 12 game at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh has gone 2-6 ATS over their last eight games
The Steelers are 8-4 ATS in their last 12 home games
The total is 17-8 OVER in the last 25 Steeler home games
Odds:
Jacksonville Jags pk -130 at Sportsbook.com
Pittsburgh Steelers +2 -105 at Bodog
Total is set at 38.5 and 39
Predicted Score:
Jacksonville Jags 20
Pittsburgh Steelers 18
