Betting Online Overview:The Pittsburgh Steelers are counting their lucky stars that they are still part of the NFL betting circus after being down 21-7 at the half in their divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens. In the second half, Roethlisberger helped move the ball down the filed and running back Rashard Mendenhall helped to punch the ball into the endzone. By the time the game was over, Roethlisberger had thrown for two TDs and Mendenhall had run for two. The defense Ben will face against the Jets is much more dangerous than the one he victimized in the divisional game against the Ravens.
The Jets’ offense stumbled their way to an impressive win over the New England Patriots. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez looked shaky in the first half as many of his passes were off target. But in the second half, Sanchez made just enough key throws to put his team into the AFC Championship game. Running back Shonn Greene had a big day for the Jets as he ran for 76 yards and a touchdown. But the Steelers defense offers a significantly larger obstacle than the Patriots did to the Jets’ Super Bowl hopes.
Offense:
It was a sports betting bonus for the Pittsburgh Steelers that Rashard Mendenhall was able to gain yards on the ground. The pay per head sportsbook experts know that the Ravens have a very strong run defense, and the fact that the Steelers were able to gain almost 150 yards on the ground is impressive. What killed the Ravens was Ben’s inability to stick with the play. Roethlisberger puts his receivers out on patterns, and then Roethlisberger makes up the rest of the play. Sometimes it works as it did in the second half of the Ravens game, and sometimes it does not as it didn’t in the first half of the Ravens game. But it is still something that the Jets will have to worry about.
Rex Ryan is an expert at putting together a game plan that plays to the strengths of his offense. The Jets are a running team with a quarterback that is still learning the ropes. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez seems to be gaining confidence, but he was still way off target in that opening half against the Patriots. If Sanchez throws wild passes against the Steelers, safety Troy Polamalu will make him pay. Look for a lot of running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene in this game as Rex Ryan puts his offensive line against the Steelers defense.
Defense:
The Jets defense has finally decided to show up. New York now has the hard-hitting shut down defense it was supposed to have all season long. Darelle Revis looks like he is not having any issues with his hamstring, and cornerback Antonio Cromartie seems to be enjoying the spotlight. The front seven for the Jets is fast and punishing. This is just a good defense.
The Steelers love to rush their linebackers on blitz plays that are sure to give the New York offensive line problems. The reason the Steelers can blitz linebackers consistently is Troy Polamalu. With Polamalu playing the middle of the field, tight ends and running backs out of the backfield are going to have serious problems finding open space to catch the ball.
The Bottom Line:
The Patriots had a weak secondary and the Jets exploited it. The Colts had a weak defensive line and the Jets exploited it. In this game, it is hard to say what weakness the Steelers have that the Jets can exploit. Either way, this promises to be a very good football game.
Sportsbooks Odds Free Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
