The Pittsburgh Steelers went 8-6 SU and 7-5-2 ATS with Ben Roethlisberger out of action last season. The Steelers are hoping that Roethlisberger’s return can help them get back into Super Bowl contention in 2020. They start their campaign off on the road against the New York Giants on Monday night.
- Date/Time: September 14, 7:10 p.m. ET
- Stadium: MetLife Stadium
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Steelers -3 | O/U 48.5 (Line History)
- Steelers vs Giants Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Steelers opened as 3-point road favorites in this game, but heavy betting action has driven the line up to Pittsburgh -6. Bets on the UNDER have also moved the total from its opener of 48.5 points down to 47.5 points. The UNDER went 7-1 in Pittsburgh’s eight road games in 2019.
Pittsburgh News & Notes
Despite Sportsbook the season with a 0-2 SU and ATS record and losing Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers boldly traded their first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins in a package for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The gamble paid off as Fitzpatrick made a huge impact on the defense and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in his second season in the NFL. Pittsburgh compiled an 8-3 SU and 7-2-2 ATS run to make its way into playoff contention, but a 0-3 SU and ATS finish sank the Steelers’ postseason hopes.
The Steelers won eight games last season despite some terrible quarterback play from Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges. A healthy Roethlisberger could make the Steelers a legitimate threat to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North this year, but at 38 years old, his health is no guarantee.
New York News & Notes
The Giants are turning to a new head coach for the third time in five years this season as former New England Patriots special teams co-ordinator Joe Judge takes over the role.
Judge has plenty of good young players to work with on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Daniel Jones and elite running back Saquon Barkley. He also has nowhere to go but up as New York has gone just 12-36 SU over the last three seasons.
Jones may be without one of his top weapons on Monday night as Golden Tate is currently listed as questionable for the Giants’ season debut with a lower-body injury. Pittsburgh had a top-three pass defense in 2019, allowing only 194.6 passing yards per game, so with or without Tate, the Giants will likely deliver a heavy dose of Barkley in this one.
Betting Pick: Pittsburgh -6
New York’s defense should be better this season than it has been in recent years, but it’s going to take some time for this young unit to jell. With Roethlisberger feeling good and with a clear edge on defense, Pittsburgh should take care of business on Monday night.
- Pittsburgh is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games vs the NFC.
- New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
- The UNDER is 3-0 in the last 3 Giants-Steelers games.
