JAN 05 - Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Postseason Betting Analysis

Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Postseason Betting Analysis

Written by on January 5, 2017

Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5 SU, 9-6-1 ATS) closed out their 2016 regular season on an impressive run while taking on the look of a dangerous team that could very well win the AFC conference title this coming postseason. However, the Steelers, like almost every team in the postseason, have some blemishes and will have their work cut out for them if they want to lift the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl 51 trophy next month. Thanks to the expert betting analysis on Pittsburgh’s upcoming playoff appearance, you’re going to have a great idea of just how far the AFC Super Bowl hopefuls will go this postseason. Let’s get started.

Here’s A Closer Look At The Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Postseason Betting Analysis

 
 

Super Bowl 51 Odds: +850

AFC Championship Odds: +400

Why Bet on the Steelers

If you’re thinking about betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers this postseason, the first reason you should do so is because of Pittsburgh’s explosive offense. Led by their future Hall of Fame quarterback, the Steelers finished the regular season ranked seventh in total offense (372.6 ypg), sixth in passing (262.6 ypg), 14th in rushing (110.0 ypg) and 11th in scoring (24.9 ppg). If you didn’t know before, the Steelers have arguably the best trio in the league in Roethlisberger (3,819 yards), running back Le’Veon Bell (1,268 yards) and wide receiver Antonio Brown (1,284 yards) and that alone makes them dangerous and worthy of a postseason wager. The Steelers were also solid, if not outstanding on defense and finished the regular season ranked 12th overall (342.6 ypg) and 10th in points allowed (20.4 ppg). The last reason to bet on Pittsburgh this postseason is the fact that they’ve put together some impressive ATS trends. The Steelers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven playoff home games, 5-1-1 ATS in their L/7 games overall and 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games following an SU win. Pittsburgh is also 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games against their AFC counterparts and 6-2 ATS in their last eight games after allowing more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.

Why Bet Against the Steelers

Just like every other team, except maybe New England Patriots, the Steelers have some blemishes that make up good reasons why you should bet against them this postseason. Pittsburgh was mediocre across the board defensively as they finished the regular season ranked 16th against the pass (242.6 ypg) and 13th against the run (100.0 ypg). The Steelers were also man-handled in their stunning 30-15 Week 6 loss against Miami, their opening playoff opponent, so there’s that as well. The Steelers also won three of their final four games of the season by four points or less and scored less than 17 points in all off their losses this season so it’s not like they were blowing their opponents off the field on a weekly basis. Last but not least, the Steelers look like a good team to bet against this postseason because of their less-than-stellar ATS trends. Pittsburgh has gone 1-0-3 ATS in their last four games in the month of January, 1-3-1 ATS in their last five home games and a winless 0-3-2 ATS in their last five playoff games overall.