New England vs Pittsburgh – Bet on Sunday Night Football

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots are tied at the top of the AFC East standings with the New York Jets for the best record in the conference.

After this weekend, we should have a better idea of who is truly the team to beat in the AFC. After the early and afternoon games are done, roll your winnings into a bet on Sunday Night football.

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The NFL odds makers have set the lines to bet on Sunday night football favoring the Steelers by 4½ points. A straight up bet on the Patriots will pay bettors +180 on the moneyline. The game total is set at 45 points.

NFL Betting Odds

November 14, 2010

New England Patriots +4½ -110 +180

Pittsburgh Steelers -4½ -110 -220

Game Total 45

Location: Heinz Field – Pittsburgh PA

Game Time: 8:20pm

TV: NBC

The Patriots were manhandled in their last outing against the Cleveland Browns and if they put forward a similar performance, the Steelers will crush the Pats this weekend. Something to consider is that the Brown beat the New Orleans Saints in a similar fashion, the following week the Saints beat these Steelers 20-10.

The loss to the Browns could be one of those “good losses”, a loss where a good team loses to a weaker opponent and it forces the team to refocus their attention.

Quarterback Tom Brady has been very good against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s 5-1 against Pittsburgh, including to AFC Championship games.

He’ll have a tougher time this weekend though as he lacks the weapons he’s had in the past. He still has Wes Welker but he’s relying on rookie WR and tight ends to make his plays. Since the Patriots traded Randy Moss, they are 3-1 but their point scored has dropped from 32.8 points a game to 22 points a game.

The Steelers are 3-1 since Ben Roethlisberger returned from his suspension. But what’s interesting is that the defense hasn’t been as dominating in games with Big Ben at the helm. It could be coincidence but the Steelers gave up 12.5 points per game in their first four and are giving up 18.25 points in their last four. They still lead the league in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 15.4 points a game.

Before your bet on Sunday night football, let’s look at a few trends. The Patriots are 13-5 against the spread in games after allowing 30 points in their previous outing. The Steelers are 1-4-1 ATS in their past 6 home games as a favorite.

The Steelers have gone over the total in 6 of their past 8 games as a favorite with one push. The Patriots have gone over the total in 8 of their past 10 games overall.

Head-to-head, the over is 6-1 in the teams past seven meetings between the Pats and Steelers.

When I bet on Sunday night football, I’m following the trends and taking the over. I like the Patriots to keep it close and will take them against the spread.

NFL Betting Picks: New England Patriots +4½ and Over 45