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Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Odds & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

steelers-titans 9809 The Tennessee Titans head to Heinz Field this Thursday night to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC to kick off the 2009 NFL season. The Steelers won 15 games on their way to bringing home Lombardi, but none of those wins came against Tennessee. In fact, Tennessee handed Pittsburgh its worst loss of the 2008-09 season, a 31-14 win late last December, to help it emerge as the AFC’s top seed. But NFL odds makers feel Pittsburgh enters the season as the better team, and with the home field advantage, have listed the Steelers as a 6-point favorite with the total set at 34.5.

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The Steelers begin their title defense with largely the same team that was able to win it all a season ago and they have some nice history on their side Thursday night. In fact, the reigning Super Bowl champions have won the following season’s regular season opener nine straight years.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returns to lead the offense. He’s had a rough offseason with rape allegations and recently got his foot banged up in practice, but I don’t anticipate either of those things keeping Big Ben from playing a strong game Thursday night. He will also likely breathe a sigh of relief that All-Pro tackle Albert Haynesworth is no longer a Titan. Still, Roethlisberger will not be out of the woods as Tennessee figures to go after him. He was sacked five times in last season’s loss. That means the play of Pittsburgh’s offensive line, which took plenty of heat in 2008, will play a major roll in the opener. Another key will be the Pittsburgh running attack. Willie Parker was limited to 31 yards on 19 carries by the Titans last December. He is coming off a down year due to injury, but all reports are that he is back at 100 percent and ready to re-establish himself as one of the best running backs in the game. If you like Pittsburgh to avenge last year’s loss to Tennessee, bet the Steelers at -6 at Sportsbook.com.

Kerry Collins’ veteran leadership and ability to manage the football game proved to be just what the doctor ordered for the Titans in 2008. Tennessee won’t ask Collins to do too much again this season, but his arm figures to be the key to victory Thursday night. On the whole, the Titans will once again rely on one of the best running attacks in the league, led by the two-headed monster that is Chris Johnson and LenDale White. Johnson rushed for over 1200 yards and 10 touchdowns on his way to the Pro Bowl and White added 773 yards and 15 scores. In last year’s game, the Steelers were able to hold the duo pretty much in check, limiting them to 117 yards total on 3.77 yards per carry, but each player reached the end zone. While the Titans would like to run the football this week, I don’t anticipate Pittsburgh letting the ground game beat them. Collins’ 2008 stats (2676 yards, 12 TD, 7INT) were far from eye-popping, but they did not accurately display his worth in my opinion. But perhaps his numbers will improve in 2009 with some new weapons at his disposal. The Titans drafted wideout Kenny Britt of Rutgers in the first round and picked up ex-Steeler Nate Washington to bolster the receiving unit. Pittsburgh was No. 2 in the league against the run last year, and No. 1 versus the pass, but I think they are going to live and die with Collins throwing it. If you think Tennessee has what it takes to pull off the upset on opening night, bet the Titans at +6 at Sportsbook.com.

*Note: Jimmy Boyd finished the NFL Preseason on a strong 6-2 run and you can be rest assured that he’ll be ready to go on opening night. Make sure you check out his NFL expert picks for Week 1 so you can bet with confidence!

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Written by Jimmy Boyd on September 8, 2009 · Filed Under NFL Betting Articles, News & Previews

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