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Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Betting Lines & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

vikes steelers 102109 The 6-0 Minnesota Vikings look to stay unbeaten at Heinz Field this Sunday when they take on the 4-2 defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Last week, it took a little luck for the Vikings to remain undefeated as Ravens kicker Steven Hauschka missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired. Meanwhile, the Steelers cruised to a 27-14 win over Cleveland behind a 417-yard performance by QB Ben Roethlisberger. These teams last met in Week 15 of the 2005 season with Pittsburgh earning an 18-3 win. They have split the last eight meetings and Minnesota owns a slight 8-7 advantage in the all-time series. NFL odds makers believe Minnesota’s unbeaten streak will come to an end Sunday, listing the Pittsburgh Steelers as 4-point favorites with the total set at 45.

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The Vikings have not gotten off to a 7-0 start since 2000 when they went on to play in the NFC title game. While Brett Favre had many doubters heading into the season, I think it’s safe to say that Minnesota would not be at this point if it wasn’t for the future Hall of Famer. Some expected Favre to be more of a game manager while Minnesota relied heavily on Adrian Peterson and the running attack, but the ageless wonder has shown that he can still carry a team. Favre is coming off three straight games with a passer rating of 100 or better. He has met every challenge to this point, but this week’s challenge figures to be the most daunting yet as he must face the NFL’s third ranked defense on its home field.

For Minnesota to come out of Pittsburgh still undefeated the defense is going to have to leave it all on the field. The Vikings blew a big lead against Baltimore last week when the defense wore down in the fourth quarter. Minnesota gave up 448 total yards to the Ravens and allowed them to score 21 points in the final 10 minutes. Jared Allen and company are going to have to be dominant this week against the NFL’s second ranked passing attack. It is worth noting that the Vikings are 4-0 against the spread in their last four road games. If you like Minnesota to stay unbeaten, bet the Vikings at +4 at Sportsbook.com.

The Steelers are an impressive 9-1 at home against NFC foes with Roethlisberger under center. For Pittsburgh to improve on that mark, the offensive line must play one of its best games of the season and Roethlisberger must focus on getting rid of the ball quickly. Otherwise, he can expect Jared Allen to be in his face all game long. Since the beginning of the 2007 season, the Steelers have allowed more sacks than any other team in the AFC. Keeping Big Ben upright goes a long way toward avoiding costly turnovers. The Steelers have committed 12 turnovers this season and that is something they can’t afford to continue against the Vikings this week. It is worth noting that the Steelers are 20-7 against the number in their last 27 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0 points. If you like Pittsburgh to hand Minnesota its first loss of the season and to cover the number in the process, bet the Steelers at -4 at Sportsbook.com.

Jimmy Boyd crushed the books with a 4-1 performance in the NFL last Sunday. Score big again this week with Jimmy’s NFL expert picks!

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