New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers Line

The New England Patriots (5-1) and Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) will both be looking to win a fourth straight game when they meet Sunday at Heinz Field.

Odds makers believe the Patriots have the edge. They are currently listed as a three-point favorite with the total set at 51.

The Pats, who are coming off a bye week, were last in action on Oct. 16 when they pulled out a 20-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys at home.

Quarterback Tom Brady completed 27 of 41 pass attempts for 289 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the win. Eight of those completions went to tight end Aaron Hernandez, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 22 seconds remaining.

Fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski led the team with seven receptions for 74 yards.

Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis led the way on the ground with 58 of New England’s 101 rushing yards.

The Steelers were in action last week and recorded a 32-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on the road.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger connected on 26 of 39 passes for 361 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the victory. Three of those completions, including one of his touchdown tosses, went to top target Mike Wallace, who led the team with 118 receiving yards.

Running back Rashard Mendenhall led the way on the ground with 32 of Pittsburgh’s 91 rushing yards.

Something will have to give Sunday in a battle of offense versus defense.

Led by Brady, who leads the AFC with 2,163 passing yards, the Pats rank No. 1 in the league in passing offense with 350.5 yards per game. However, yards might not come as easily for Brady this week as he goes up against the Steeler’s vaunted defense.

Pittsburgh ranks No. 1 in the NFL against the pass with 171.9 yards allowed per game.

The Pats won last year’s battle of offense versus defense, defeating the Steelers 39-26 at Heinz Field on Nov. 14. Brady completed 30 of 43 passes for 350 yards with three touchdowns and no picks in that game.

It is worth noting, however, that Pittsburgh is better in pass defense than it was last year when it ranked 12th in the league with 214.1 yards per game.

The Patriots have won seven of the last 10 meetings in this series and have covered the spread in eight of those games. They are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven meetings in Pittsburgh.

New England has had the upper hand in this series in recent years, but it shouldn’t be ignored that the underdog is 9-2 against the number in the last 11 meetings.

The Steelers are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games as a home underdog.

In regard to the total, the over has been the play in this series. These two have combined to finish over the number in seven of the last eight meetings, including five straight in Pittsburgh.

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