NFL Football Betting: Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots
While the opening of NHL hockey season–Canada’s national sport–is just over a month away the US ‘national sport’ is set to go this Thursday night as the New England Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers as they begin defense of their Super Bowl title. The Patriots were subjected to the silly ‘deflate-gate’ investigation during the off season and after thinking that starting quarterback Tom Brady would be suspended for four games to start the season it turns out that all of the bloviation of the mainstream media and Roger Goodell’s desperate attempt to pin the blame on *anyone* was all for naught. A US Federal judge invalidated the suspension and now Brady is in the clear. Of course it wouldn’t be like Roger Goodell to be an adult and just let this slide–he won’t be in attendance for tonight’s game which is the behavior of a petulant teenager not getting his way and not the commissioner of the most financially successful professional sports league on the planet.
But with or without Goodell there is a game to be played and there’s a big edge to the home team. This might have been a fairly even contest without Brady in the lineup but now that he’s back and ready to go it could be a rout. The Steelers are missing a lot of their key talent on offense including Maurkice Pouncey (injured) and suspended running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Martavis Bryant. They’ve still got *some* weapons with the NFL’s leading pass catcher a year ago, Antonio Brown and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers will be able to put points on the board.
In our view, however, it won’t be enough points as Tom Brady will likely have a statement to make and shouldn’t have much trouble against a young Steelers’ defense with a weakness in the outside pass rush and no real ‘shutdown’ talent at the cornerback position. These teams met in 2013 and Brady dropped 432 yards and four touchdowns on Pittsburgh in a 55-31 Patriots’ win. We won’t call for that big of a rout but we do like Brady to have a big game and the Patriots to win and cover.
BET NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS -7 OVER PITTSBURGH STEELERS
