Betting the Under on 'TNF
I’m not sure how much uglier it can get beyond the Patriots’ 6-0 defeat to the Chargers on Sunday.
Yes, we’re talking about a football game.
Bill Belichick’s pivot away from Mac Jones at quarterback — while absolutely necessary — didn’t prove to be the squeaky wheel.
Bailey Zappe didn’t cause any turnovers and completed 68.9 percent of his passes, but could only conjure 141 yards.
The fact is that it doesn’t quite matter who is playing quarterback for New England; the offense is a dysfunctional disaster.
Now let’s pair it against Mitch Trubisky, who is stepping into his first start of the season for Pittsburgh after Kenny Pickett went down for ankle surgery.
Trubisky hasn’t started since Week 15 of last season when the Steelers defeated the Panthers 24-16.
The seven-year vet stepped in against the Cardinals admirably posting a 104.3 passer rating, but his success against the spread at home as a starter is dreadful; Trubisky is 3-10-2 in his last 15 starts under those circumstances.
Mike Tomlin should be lauded as a magician as he constantly finds ways to keep underwhelming Steelers teams above .500.
The Steelers are two games out of first in the AFC North despite fielding an offense recording an average of 16 points.
There’s few that live beneath them in offense and the worst of them all is the Patriots, who score 12.3 points per game.
Any success either of these teams have gained have been with strong defensive showings.
We can laugh at their offenses, but both teams rank in the top 11 in defensive DVOA. They each allow only about a third of drives to result in a score.
Betting on the NFL?
T.J. Watt has made a splash in merely every game this season as he ranks second in sacks and has forced four turnovers for the Steelers.
I don’t see how anything is going to change when these two frustrating teams face each other and oddsmakers seem to agree.
This game has the lowest point total set for an NFL game since 1993.
Keep to this season’s pattern of prime-time unders on Thursday while stomaching this paint-drying affair.
The play: Under 30 (BetRivers Sportsbook)
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