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Are the Steelers a safe bet in Week 15?

2016 Pro Football Betting Win Totals Analysis

Written by on May 25, 2016

It’s generally dangerous to bet on NFL win totals this early in the spring because a lot can happen before the season begins, mainly a catastrophic injury in training camp or the preseason. With that said, here’s my look at three interesting win totals currently on NFL odds.

A Closer Look at the 2016 Pro Football Betting Win Totals Analysis

Pittsburgh Steelers (10.5 wins)

I like over here on NFL lines. The Steelers could well have the NFL’s best offense despite losing No. 2 receiver Martavis Bryant to a year-long suspension. The Steelers will fill this need by committee. They won’t replace Bryant’s dynamic play making with one person. They will need Markus Wheaton, Ladarius Green and Sammie Coates to do it, plus more help. The team quickly signed Darrius Heyward-Bey to a three-year deal after learning of the Bryant suspension, which shows the trust QB Ben Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley have in him. Remember, too, that star running back Le’Veon Bell missed much of last season and the Steelers barely missed a beat. When it comes to better offensive lines in the NFL, the Steelers’ unit is widely considered to be part of that group, even with center Maurkice Pouncey missing all of last season. While the Steelers have to face the tough Bengals and Ravens twice each in the division, their toughest non-division games against the Patriots and Chiefs are both at Heinz Field.

San Francisco 49ers (5.5 wins)

Go under here. I like that the 49ers hired former Eagles coach Chip Kelly this offseason, but he has next-to-nothing to work with, especially at quarterback. It will either be Colin Kaepernick, who tried to force a trade out of town, or first-round bust Blaine Gabbert. Kaepernick remained with the 49ers after his representation and the Denver Broncos could not work out details on a new contract that would have facilitated a trade. Kaepernick is still not cleared to practice off his offseason surgery, but he is not falling behind in the quarterback competition according to Kelly. Kaepernick continues to rehab from surgeries to his left shoulder, right thumb and left knee. His only throwing has been done with athletic trainers during his rehab, Kelly said. For Gabbert, Kelly’s arrival marks the sixth offense he has learned in as many NFL seasons. In eight starts last year, Gabbert completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,031 yards, 10 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a quarterback rating of 86.2. He’s the likely starter.

Tennessee Titans (5.5 wins)

Go over here on NFL odds. By some accounts, the Titans had the best draft of any team after dealing the No. 1 overall pick to the Rams to help stock multiple positions. The team took Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin with the No. 8 overall pick and he’ll help protect QB Marcus Mariota, who was so good as a rookie in 2015 (when healthy). The Titans made three other moves that will help the development of Mariota. The first was swapping fourth-round picks with the Eagles and acquiring DeMarco Murray to be the featured back. With Murray and second-round pick Derrick Henry, the Heisman Trophy winner last year at Alabama, Tennessee will have more of a balanced offense. The second move was signing former Texan Ben Jones at center. A good center can make the right calls and get the correct players blocked. The third move was hiring Russ Grimm as the offensive line coach. He’s one of the best in the business. The Titans won’t surpass that 5.5 win total by much, but they’ll win at least six games if Mariota stays healthy.