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Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions NFL Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

steelers-lions-10709 The 2-2 Pittsburgh Steelers look to get over the .500 mark when they take on the 1-3 Detroit Lions at Ford Field this Sunday. Last week, the Steelers jumped out to a 28-0 lead over San Diego and held on for a 38-28 win on Sunday Night Football. The Lions weren’t able to build on their Week 3 win, going down 48-24 to Chicago. These teams have not met since 2005 when the Steelers rode the “Bus” (Jerome Bettis) to a 35-21 win. Pittsburgh has taken six of the last seven meetings, but the overall series is tied 14-14-1. NFL odds makers have listed the Pittsburgh Steelers as a 10.5-point favorite with the total set at 44.

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The first thing to address when looking at this matchup is the status of Lions QB Matthew Stafford. Stafford was playing extremely well against the Bears last week, throwing for 296 yards in just over three quarters before going down with a knee injury. He is currently listed as questionable for this week’s game. While taking a week off figures to stint the maturation process that appears well underway, I don’t think the Lions will risk Stafford if there is any danger of a more serious injury against a Steelers defense that can rush the heck out of the quarterback. In fact, the Steelers lead the AFC with 95 sacks since the beginning of the 2007 season. That number is good for third in the NFL. If Stafford isn’t able to go, we will see Daunte Culpepper. He was out of rhythm went he entered the game against the Bears, but that is expected after sitting for over three quarters. He should be much sharper this week if he gets the nod after getting plenty of snaps with the first team. Whether Stafford or Culpepper heads under center this week, they will want to look in the directing of wide receiver Calvin Johnson often. Johnson is quickly emerging into one of the best wide receivers in the game. He ranks second in the NFL with 13 touchdown catches since the beginning of last season. It is worth noting that the Steelers are just 3-9 against the spread in their last 12 games as a favorite of 10.5 or more points. If you think this trend continues Sunday, bet the Lions at +10.5 at Sportsbook.com.

The last time the Steelers visited Detroit, they won Super Bowl XL over the Seahawks. They’ll look to rediscover that magic in Week 5 to get over the .500 mark. Pittsburgh is clearly at its best when it can run the football effectively. The running game got a huge lift from second year running back Rashard Mendenhall last week. Starting for an injured Willie Parker after getting benched in Week 3, Mendenhall exploded for 165 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers. Parker is listed as questionable Sunday, but regardless, Mendenhall’s performance surely landed him a few more carries even when Parker returns. He’ll have his chance to build on a huge day against the Lions 20th ranked run defense.

I would like to see Pittsburgh get a little bit more of a killer instinct and I’m sure its backers would too. Blowing a big lead last week caused backers to sweat a little bit when it looked like the game was all but in the books. Pittsburgh also blew leads against the Bears and Bengals in Weeks 2 and 3. It is worth noting that the Lions are only 2-9 against the spread in their last 11 home games. If you like Pittsburgh to be the latest team to hand the Lions a double digit defeat, bet the Steelers at -10.5 at Sportsbook.com.

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