Football Predictions – Carolina at Pittsburgh on Thursday Night

The football betting predictions matchups continue to get more and more important for both betting fans and the teams themselves, but the Thursday night matchup seems as if it is a no-brainer for fans who’ve been paying attention.

While the Panthers had a nice win last week, they still are in the driver’s seat for a top pick in the 2011 NFL Draft while he Steelers have their eyes set on another Super Bowl run despite their myriad injuries and the constant struggle of playing through them in a division title chase.

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Can the Steelers avoid the letdown in what could be a football predictions trap game?

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Carolina Panthers

8:20 pm ET

NFL Betting Line:

Steelers favored by 14.

Pittsburgh has gotten their passing game going in a big way late in the season behind Ben Roethlisberger as he came back from his suspension as the same old Super Bowl-winning QB.

He moves around well inside and outside of the pocket, bounces off tackles, and makes plays, especially late.

The Steelers, the big football predictions favorite in this one, lost last week to the Jets but the game was  played in tough conditions and they had a chance to win it late despite being the less-healthy team in that game.

Rookie QB Jimmy Clausen is the biggest detriment to Carolina’s chance in this game. He won his first game last week but hasn’t looked sharp most of the year.

He panicked often facing pressure in college at Notre Dame and he will begin this game staring down about 550 pounds of outside linebacker in James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.

The Panthers’ running game is better recently but the Steelers will have no trouble shutting it down.

With Pittsburgh in desperate need of a win, the passing offense clicking, and Carolina having no way to move the chains beyond its run game consistently, Pittsburgh is likely to blow the Panthers out and to put them away early in this one.

Take the Steelers and don’t worry too much about giving the 14 points against the hapless Panthers.

Football predictions winner: Pittsburgh (-14)