Service Plays Thursday 9/11/14

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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

[h=1]NCAA Football Game Picks[/h] [h=2]Houston at BYU[/h] The Houston Cougars head to BYU on Thursday night and come into the contest with a 7-0 ATS record in their last 7 road games. Houston is the pick (+18 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the BYU Cougars favored by only 14 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Houston (+18 1/2). Here are all of this week's lined game.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST (9/10)

Game 103-104: Louisiana Tech at North Texas (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Louisiana Tech 55.956; North Texas 74.809 Dunkel Line: North Texas by 19; 54 Vegas Line: North Texas by 3 1/2; 48 Dunkel Pick: North Texas (-3 1/2); Over

Game 105-106: Houston at BYU (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Houston 86.069; BYU 100.535 Dunkel Line: BYU by 14 1/2; 62 Vegas Line: BYU by 18 1/2; 57 Dunkel Pick: Houston (+18 1/2); Over

 

[tgunn11]

Baseball Crusher
Los Angeles Angels -154 over Texas Rangers - pending
Washington Nationals -123 over New York Mets
(System Record: 90-2, lost last game)
Overall Record: 90-69

Rest of the Plays
Cleveland Indians + Minnesota Twins UNDER 7.5
Pittsburgh Pirates -131 over Philadelphia Phillies
Cincinnati Reds -117 over St. Louis Cardinals

 

[tgunn11]

Football Crusher
Louisiana Tech +3.5 over North Texas
(System Record: 3-1, won last 2 games)
Overall Record: 3-5

Rest of the Plays
Houston + Brigham Young OVER 57
North Texas + Louisiana Tech UNDER 47.5
Pittsburgh Steelers + Baltimore Ravens OVER 44.5

 

[tgunn11]

Soccer Crusher
Sport Recife + Santos UNDER 2.5 - Brazil pending
Corinthians + Atletico MG OVER 2
This match is happening in Brazil
(System Record: 632-22, won last game)
Overall Record: 632-523-93

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

ANTHONY MICHAEL

(Play of the Day)

#101 Pittsburgh Steelers +2.5 (8:25 edt)

This series has been absolutely dominated by the underdog lately and the Steelers have covered 5 of their last 6 trips to Baltimore. Do I really need to remind you of the major non-football distractions going on right now with the Ravens? Sometimes off the field things can unite a team but do they really want to rally behind Rice? Not a chance. Look for the Steelers to be the much better prepared team to play mentally here.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game of the Day: Houston at BYU

Houston Cougars at BYU Cougars (-18.5, 58.5)

Houston doesn't have a lot of time to prepare for its trip to Brigham Young on Thursday, so coach Tony Levine is going to refer back to last year's hard-fought 47-46 loss to BYU. "It'll be a physical game," Levine said Saturday. "It certainly was last year and (BYU) is a physical program. They are always one of the top defenses in the nation. It is about us and how we feel we can play. We have got to do a great job with turnovers and turnover margin and we've got to fly around and tackle on defense and get those guys on the ground." Houston felt pretty good Saturday after a 47-0 beating of Grambling State, forcing six turnovers and scoring a defensive touchdown.

Houston will try to keep BYU's defense - which has been impressive in two lopsided victories - off-balance by using different personnel in the backfield. John O'Korn showed improvements between the first and second week and the club has used receivers Greg Ward Jr. and Daniel Spencer at quarterback in special packages. BYU quarterback Taysom Hill has accounted for 685 total yards, five rushing touchdowns and three scoring passes on the way to back-to-back FBS Independent Offensive Player of the Week honors.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Most shops opened BYU -18 and most are now offering -18.5. The total opened 57 and is now up to 58.5.

INJURY REPORT: BYU - WR Nick Kurtz (Indefinitely, foot).

WEATHER FORECAST: Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the mid-50s with clear skies and wind blowing to the south endzone at 9 mph.

ABOUT HOUSTON (1-1): O'Korn has completed 52.2 percent of his passes for 404 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions while Ward Jr. (five carries for 22 yards and a score) and Spencer (two carries for minus-1 yard) have mostly been used on running plays. Kenneth Farrow leads the ground game with 151 yards after a career-high 130 against Grambling State. Houston is allowing 342.5 yards and has forced a turnover in 25 straight games - the third-longest active streak in the country.

ABOUT BRIGHAM YOUNG (2-0): BYU is allowing 8.5 points and just 76.5 yards rushing after road wins over Connecticut (35-10) and Texas (41-7). Hill has completed 73 percent of his passes and is averaging 5.4 yards per run while Jamaal Williams rushed for 89 yards against Texas. Linebacker Bronson Kaufusi, who had two sacks against UConn, left the Texas game with an ankle injury and his status is unknown.

TRENDS:

* BYU is 3-0-1 ATS in its last four home games.
* Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
* Over is 6-0 in Houston's last six Thursday games.
* Under is 4-0 in BYU's last four Thursday games.

CONSENSUS: 71 percent of wagers are backing BYU

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

North Texas has bettors seeing green
Justin Hartling

The North Texas Mean Green have been a stellar play for bettors. The Mean Green has an 8-2 record against the spread in their last 10 contests.

North Texas (-3.5) will host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Thursday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Houston at BYU
By Joe Nelson

The third week of the College football season starts Thursday night with a matchup between Houston and BYU. While the season in Houston started poorly with an upset loss, BYU has impressively moved to 2-0 with back-to-back road wins, including last week’s huge win at Texas. Here is a look at the teams and this week’s ESPN matchup between two sets of Cougars.

Match-up: Houston Cougars at BYU Cougars
Venue: LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah
Date: Thursday, September 11, 2014
Time/TV: 9:00 PM ET – ESPN
Line: BYU -17.5, Over/Under 57.5
Last Meeting: 2013, BYU (-10) 47-46 at Houston

Houston is coming off of an easy home win vs. FCS Grambling last week. The Cougars were led by RB Kenneth Farrow, who rushed for 130 of Houston's 275 rush yards (6.9 YPC) in a 47-0 win. It was a nice comeback victory after a disappointing home loss to UT-San Antonio to open the season - a game in which the Cougars totaled -26 rush yards. QB Josh O'Korn has gotten off to a bit of a disappointing start. He is completing just 51.5% of his throws with just one touchdown and four interceptions. This week, Houston hits the road for the first time this season to take on BYU.

This is a tough spot for BYU. The Cougars are off of a 41-7 win at Texas. It was a hard-fought game for one half as BYU led just 6-0 at the midpoint before opening the floodgates with a 28-point third quarter. Do-everything QB Taysom Hill led the way with three rushing touchdowns. Through two games, Hill is completing 73% of his passes and averaging 244.5 pass YPG; but the real threat he presents is with his feet as he already has 196 rushing yards and five touchdowns. BYU will try to avoid a letdown performance here, something the Cougars couldn't avoid last year. After 2013's blowout win over Texas, the Cougars returned home and laid an egg against Utah - losing by seven points as a six-point favorite.

Defensively both of these teams have been very solid through two weeks. BYU is allowing just 76.5 rushing yards per game on 2.3 yards per carry. Opposing QB's are completing just 57% against BYU with one touchdown and two interceptions. Houston's 'D' (which returned nine starters from 2013), ranks 24th against the pass, 35th against the run, and 11th in total yards allowed - albeit stats that may be skewed in their favor considering their two opponents were UT-San Antonio and FCS Grambling.

These two met for the first time ever in 2013 in one of the more entertaining games of the season. The game featured two ties, eight lead changes, and neither team led by more than 10 points. Taysom Hill threw a touchdown with 1:08 left to give BYU the lead. The defense held on Houston's final drive and BYU won, 47-46. BYU tallied 681 yards of total offense, including 264 rushing yards on 71 total carries. Houston's O'Korn completed 29-of-45 passes for 363 yards with three touchdowns but also three interceptions. Houston was able to cover as the double-digit underdog (+10).

BYU is 10-3 S/U & ATS in its last 13 home openers, including back-to-back ATS wins by an average of 21.5 points. BYU is 7-2-1 ATS in the last 10 games as a home favorite of 17 points or more. Houston is 5-18 S/U & 8-14 ATS in its last 23 road openers, but is 3-2 S/U & ATS in the last five years. Houston is 8-4 ATS in the last 12 as a double-digit underdog, but that record worsens to just 5-10 ATS as a road underdog of 17 points or more dating back to 1997.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Battle of the Cougars

Houston Cougars (1-1) at BYU Cougars (2-0)

Line & Total: BYU -18.5, Total: 58

After a beating of Texas this past weekend, the BYU Cougars host the Houston Cougars as they attempt to stay undefeated.

Houston did not look good in the first game of the season, falling by a score of 27-7 against the UTSA Roadrunners, but bounced back in an easy matchup facing Grambling State, prevailing by a score of 47-0 in against a Tigers team that was 1-11 last season. Not too much should be taken from the win, since Grambling state hurt themselves with 15 penalties for 147 yards while also turning the ball over six times as the Cougars converted only 4-of-14 on third downs.

BYU has looked great in its first two games, first handling Connecticut with a 35-10 win followed by a huge 41-7 defeat of Texas in Austin as one-point underdogs. It was their defense that was the hero here, grabbing four takeaways and holding a usually potent Longhorns offense to a woeful 258 total yards. The rushing attack for the Cougars was unstoppable with 248 yards on the ground; giving them two consecutive games over 200 rushing yards.

Last year these programs met and both offenses were clicking in a 47-46 barnburner, which BYU won, but failed to cover as a 10-point favorite. Both teams threw for more than 400 yards with the big difference coming from the Brigham Young runners as they outpaced Houston on the ground 264 to 48.

Bettors should take into consideration that BYU is a mere 7-26 ATS (21%) after a two-game road trip since 1992 while Houston is 1-9 ATS after allowing six points or less in their previous game in the same timeframe. There are no significant injuries going into this contest for either team.

Houston’s usually potent offense currently ranks 80th in rushing (218 YPG) and 102nd in passing (124.5 YPG), and has not faced a tough team such as BYU. Leading their offense is QB John O’Korn who was solid last season (3,117 yards, 28 TD, 10 INT) and has completed 35-of-68 passes (52%) for 404 yards (5.9 YPA) while throwing just a single touchdown and four picks this year. It was his play that took the team down against UTSA as he threw 4 INT and completed a mere 21-of-43 attempts.

It does get a little more promising with the running game, as HB Kenneth Farrow has rushed for 151 yards on 20 attempts (7.6 YPC) and a touchdown while last year’s top rusher, HB Ryan Jackson, has two touchdowns in 13 attempts (50 yards). The team likes to spread the ball out, and through the first couple of contests they already have three different players with seven or more receptions. Leading the way is WR Deontay Greenberry (206 yards) while WR Greg Ward Jr. (40 yards) has the sole receiving touchdown.

It is hard to size up the Cougars defense at this point of the season with their shutout victory coming against such a weak team, but they have allowed their opponents to gain 263 yards per game so far. Both LB Derrick Mathews (16 tackles, 1 sack) and DB Trevon Stewart (10 tackles) hope they can continue to put forth solid performances as this team looks to win their second straight contest.

BYU has been phenomenal in the early going while ranking in the top-65 at both passing (244.5 YPG) and rushing (226.5 YPG) with 38.0 PPG (42nd in FBS). QB Taysom Hill (489 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) has improved through the air this year after throwing 14 interceptions in 2013, but threw for just 181 yards and 1 INT in the win over Texas.

The real threat comes from Hill’s legs, which have propelled him to 194 yards (5.4 YPC) and five touchdowns after leading the team with 1,344 rushing yards (5.5 YPC, 10 TD) in 2013. Helping him in the backfield will be HB Jamaal Williams who missed the first game of the year, but went for 89 yards (4.7 YPC) against the Longhorns. These two players combined for 2,577 yards on the ground last year and should be the main focal point for any opposing defense. With last year’s top receiver, Cody Hoffman, out of the picture, the Cougars are targeting plenty of players, and four wideouts have caught at least five passes with WR Jordan Leslie (107 yards) leading the way.

As mentioned previously, the defense for BYU is the main reason for the team's success, having allowing only 8.5 PPG and 306.5 YPG to their opponents over the first two weeks. LB Bronson Kaufusi had two sacks in the first game of the year and hopes to be an important piece of this defense moving forward.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

CFB | NEBRASKA at FRESNO ST
Play Against - Road favorites of 3.5 to 10 points (NEBRASKA) in a game involving two teams that had winning records last season, in non-conference games
46-18 since 1997. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )
2-2 this year. ( 50.0% | -0.2 units )

CFB | HOUSTON at BYU
Play On - A road team vs. the money line (HOUSTON) off a home win, with 9 or more defensive starters returning
132-98 over the last 10 seasons. ( 57.4% | 0.0 units )
2-1 this year. ( 66.7% | 0.0 units )

CFB | E CAROLINA at VIRGINIA TECH
Play Over - Road teams where the first half total is between 25 and 28 in non-conference games, with 4 or fewer defensive starters returning
46-18 over the last 5 seasons. ( 71.9% | 26.2 units )
0-1 this year. ( 0.0% | -1.1 units )

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

[h=1]Today's NFL Picks[/h][h=2]Pittsburgh at Baltimore[/h]The Steelers head to Baltimore on Thursday night to face a Ravens team that is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 Thursday games. Pittsburgh is the pick (+3) according to Dunkel, which has the Steelers favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+3). Here are all of this week's picks.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 Time Posted: 10:00 a.m. EST (9/10)

Game 101-102: Pittsburgh at Baltimore (8:25 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 133.605; Baltimore 132.199 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 48 Vegas Line: Baltimore by 3; 44 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+3); Over

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday Night Football: Steelers at Ravens

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (-2.5, 44.5)

Preparing to play your fiercest rival on a short week is a daunting enough task, but the Baltimore Ravens are also dealing with the fallout from the Ray Rice saga as they get set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. Baltimore lost at Cincinnati in its season opener and faces the prospect of falling two games behind the Steelers in the AFC North. Tight games are the norm in the rivalry, with nine of the last 10 regular-season meetings decided by three points or fewer.

Rice's contract was terminated Monday after videotape from TMZ surfaced showing the running back knocking out his then-fiancee with a punch to the head, which had led to a two-game suspension by the league. "We knew we were going to be without him anyway for the first two games, so our focus is on the Steelers and nothing else," Ravens wideout Torrey Smith said. "It’s way worse for him than it is for us. We just have to get ready for the next one.” Pittsburgh blew a 24-point halftime lead before beating Cleveland on a last-second field goal in its opener.

TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS, NFL Network.

LINE HISTORY: Most shops opened the Ravens as 3-point home faves and are now dealing -2.5. The total opened around 42 or 43.5 and is now up to 44 or 44.5 (depending on where you shop).

INJURY REPORT: Steelers - WR Lance Moore (Questionable, groin), RB Dri Archers (Questionable, ankle). Ravens - CB Ladarius Webb (Questionable, back).

POWER RANKINGS: Steelers (+1.0) - Ravens (+2.0) + home field advantage (-3.0) = Ravens -2.0

WEATHER REPORT: Weather forecasts are calling for 61 percent chance of thunderstorms. Wind will blow to the east endzone at 6 mph.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "While the game sets up well for Baltimore with Ravens off the loss and Pittsburgh off the win, the off-field incident involving Ray Rice is a heavy distraction.The Black Birds’ 14-1 SU mark at home in games off a loss is intriguing. The Steelers’ 10-2 ATS record as a dog with revenge off a win is a strong counter." Marc Lawrence.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "The early Pittsburgh action is justified. I was preaching 'sell' on the Ravens prior to the preseason getting underway. The Ray Rice saga has nothing to do with it either, he's a declining player. Joe Flacco is a mediocre quarterback leading a mediocre offense. Baltimore's defense could create some problems for Pitt's O-line but the Ravens will likely start this season 0-2. This spread should continue to push downward."

ABOUT THE STEELERS (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS, 0-1 O/U): Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell also was involved in a notable off-field transgression when he was arrested on marijuana possession and DUI charges last month, but he sparkled in the opener by rushing for 109 yards and a TD and catching six passes for 88 yards. Bell wasn't the only second-year player with a strong debut. Markus Wheaton, who did next to nothing as a rookie, had six receptions for 97 yards and provides another favorable option for Ben Roethlisberger (365 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) with a pair of huge catches on the winning drive. An aging defense was a major issue last season for the Steelers and it remains a concern after the unit was gouged repeatedly by Cleveland's no-huddle offense.

ABOUT THE RAVENS (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS, 0-1 O/U): An already unsettled running back situation became further muddled when Bernard Pierce - Rice's replacement - was benched after a costly fumble and replaced by scat back Justin Forsett, who acquitted himself well with 70 yards and a TD on 11 carries. With rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro the only other option in the backfield, Pierce will likely remain the starter but Baltimore needs a more balanced attack. Quarterback Joe Flacco was forced to attempt 62 passes last week, finishing with 345 yards with one TD and one pick. Veteran Steve Smith had an 80-yard scoring pass in his Ravens debut while a bend-but-not-break defense allowed five first-half field goals before surrendering a 77-yard winning touchdown pass.

TRENDS:

* Over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Steelers are 3-0-1 ATS in their last four meetings.
* Ravens are 1-6 ATS in their last seven Thursday games.
* Steelers are 0-6 ATS in their last six games in September.

CONSENSUS:60 percent of wagers are backing the Steelers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday night football could see thundershowers
Justin Hartling

When the ball is kicked off at M&T Bank Stadium it may be soaring through a thunderstorm. There is a 61 percent chance that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens game will be playing with thundershowers.

The Ravens are currently a 2.5-point home fave with the total set at 44.5.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Steelers at Ravens
By Kevin Rogers

The Ravens and Steelers are each coming off tough home contests in Week 1, as the two AFC North rivals hook up at M&T Bank Stadium. This was originally the second of a two-game suspension for Ray Rice, but Baltimore cut the running back after new video surfaced of his altercation with his then-fiance in February. Now, the Ravens will hope to avoid an 0-2 hole not only overall, but inside the division race.

John Harbaugh’s club fell behind the Bengals in the season opener, 15-0 at halftime, in spite of limiting Cincinnati to five field goals. The Ravens rallied back to take a 16-15 advantage in the fourth quarter thanks to an 80-yard touchdown strike from Joe Flacco to newly acquired Steve Smith. Less than a minute later, the Bengals countered with a 77-yard touchdown connection from Andy Dalton to A.J. Green to give Cincinnati a 23-16 edge, which was ultimately the final. Cincinnati covered as one-point road underdogs to snap a four-game road skid at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Steelers cruised to a 27-3 lead over the Browns at halftime in Week 1, looking to easily cover as 5 ½-point home favorites. However, Cleveland wasn’t ready to give up, as Brian Hoyer spearheaded a comeback with the Browns scoring 24 unanswered points to tie the game at 27-27 in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh’s only points in the second half came in the final seconds of regulation as Shaun Suisham’s 41-yard field goal at the gun gave the Steelers a 30-27 win, but Cleveland cashed as a sharp away underdog.

Whenever the Ravens and Steelers get together, it’s pretty much a guarantee that the game will come down to three points or less. In fact, eight of the past 10 meetings have been decided by less than a field goal, including last season’s two matchups. Following a 1-4 start, Pittsburgh needed a last season field goal to stave off Baltimore at Heinz Field, 19-16 to cash as a 2 ½-point favorite. In that contest, neither team busted the 300-yard plateau on offense, while the Steelers snapped a two-game home skid to the Ravens.

In the second meeting at M&T Bank Stadium on Thanksgiving, the Ravens held off the Steelers, 22-20 after Pittsburgh couldn’t convert a two-point conversion in the final minute of regulation. Baltimore scored six times in that victory, but five of those scores came on field goals from Justin Tucker. The Steelers cashed as three-point underdogs, as the two teams have alternated wins and losses in each of the past four matchups in Baltimore.

Joe Nelson gives his analysis on this showdown, “While San Francisco and Seattle has eclipsed this rivalry the past few seasons, there is still something special about Pittsburgh and Baltimore. With their history of close games, the underdog has been successful and Pittsburgh has covered in five of the last six trips to Baltimore. Both teams played division games last week and with Pittsburgh winning and Baltimore losing the pressure will be on the host this week. It has certainly not been a great week for the Ravens with some negative post-game comments coming out of the locker room after last week’s loss to Cincinnati and Ray Rice being expelled from the team. This could be a season-defining game in either direction for Baltimore as a 0-2 start would be tough to come back from and this is a team in dire need of a positive result.”

Nelson believes the Steelers need to tie up some loose ends to be successful on Thursday, “For Pittsburgh, the 1-0 start is huge after the nightmare September last season. Getting out-scored 24-3 in the second half last week certainly provides some concerns for the Steelers, however, with a defense that struggled much of last season. Cleveland rushed for 6.1 yards per carry on the Steelers last week, a far departure from the past defensive reputation for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh will also need to clean up 11 penalties from the opening week and Ben Roethlisberger was sacked four times, something the team can’t afford with his injury history.”

Baltimore has struggled covering numbers against AFC North opponents recently, posting a 2-7 ATS record since November 2012, including a 2-4 ATS mark the last six at home against division foes. On the flip side, the Steelers have cashed six of their past eight contests within the division, while going 3-1 ATS in the last four on the road against the AFC North.

From a totals perspective, the Ravens are 9-3 to the ‘under’ in its past 12 home games, while scoring 20 points or less in six of their previous nine home contests since the start of last season. Since allowing 35 points at Baltimore in the 2011 season opener, Pittsburgh has limited division foes to 22 points or less in each of its past eight road division contests.

The Ravens are currently listed as a 2 ½-point favorite, while the total is set at 44 ½. The game can be seen nationally on CBS at 8:25 PM EST.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Steelers vs. Ravens Betting Preview and Pick
By: Larry Hartstein

A sense of desperation and turmoil hangs over the Ravens as they prepare for Thursday’s AFC North showdown with the Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium (8:25 p.m. ET, CBS, NFL Network). Having lost at home to defending division champ Cincinnati, Baltimore simply cannot afford to start with consecutive home losses to its two biggest rivals. The last five matchups in this physically brutal series have been decided by three or fewer points, each team winning at home last season.

Baltimore also is dealing with fallout from the Ray Rice controversy. The team released the running back Monday, and the league suspended him indefinitely following the release of a video showing Rice knocking out his then-fiancee and now-wife.

The Line: Ravens -3 (even), Total: 44

Line movement: This spread has been bouncing between Baltimore -2.5 and -3 (even) since Sunday, with most shops dealing the former number the day before the game. The total opened at 43.5 and has hit 44.5 at some books. For updated lines from around Las Vegas, visit our live odds page.

Trends that matter: Baltimore is 4-8-1 ATS in its last 13 division games.

Pittsburgh is 8-4-1 ATS in its last 13 division games.

The UNDER is 8-3 in Baltimore's last 11 home games. The Ravens are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games and 1-6 ATS in their last seven Thursday games.

What happened to balance? The Ravens were supposed to re-establish their running game under new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. Instead, Joe Flacco threw 62 times against the Bengals in a game that was never out of reach. Baltimore finally found success on the ground by replacing Bernard Pierce with Justin Forsett, who ran 11 times for 70 yards and added five catches. Look for the shifty Forsett to start Thursday.

Helpless vs. no-huddle: The Steelers and their subpar secondary had no answer for Cleveland’s no-huddle attack and blew a 27-3 lead in Week 1 before pulling out the win at the buzzer. That’s very concerning considering the Browns don’t have the same caliber of receivers as Baltimore. Ravens wideouts Torry Smith, Steve Smith and Jacoby Jones all had bad drops Week 1 and will be primed for redemption. Baltimore led the NFL with six drops in the opener.

Big Ben a different player: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been a different player since the team gave him more control of the offense midway through last season. He threw for 278 yards in the first half last Sunday, 365 overall, and brings a loaded arsenal of weapons led by Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and running back Le'Veon Bell. He's thrown 16 TDs and 5 INTs over his last eight games.

Injuries that matter: Ravens starting CB Lardarius Webb (back) was inactive Week 1 despite practicing all week. Baltimore needs him to help slow down the Steelers' speedy wideouts. He's considered questionable.

Steelers RB/KR Dri Archer (knee, ankle) was unable to finish the Week 1 game vs. Cleveland. He’s an explosive returner and gadget player. He's also considered questionable. Click here for the latest injury report.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the 70s, with a 40-50 percent chance of rain.

The Linemakers' lean: We’ve said this often, but Steelers-Ravens games are the easiest lines to make in the NFL – the home team, provided the QBs are healthy, is the 3-point favorite. Eight of the last 11 games between these teams have been decided by exactly three points. But, according to our power ratings, Baltimore is 2.5 points better than Pittsburgh on a neutral field, so factoring in home field, and we give the Ravens the edge here. The Ravens have the better offense and defense, according to our Kenny White, and also considering they are in an early-season must-win situation, we’ll lay the short number Thursday night.

 

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Pitt looks for road win

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) at Baltimore Ravens (0-1)

Line & Total: Baltimore -3, Total: 44

Division rivals clash Thursday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens.

In Week 1 of the NFL season, both of these teams were involved in sloppy affairs. Pittsburgh came away with a victory in the opening week, but the Ravens were unable to do the same. Now these teams square off against one another in what should be an excellent game with a lot of emotion. Last season, Baltimore won at home against Pittsburgh 22-20 as three-point favorites. The Steelers won their home game against the Ravens 19-16 as 2.5-point favorites. In the past three meetings between these teams, Pittsburgh is 3-0 ATS and the two teams have gone Over the total in two of the contests.

This game has the potential to be a shootout, despite the defensive reputation of both franchises. Pittsburgh allowed Brian Hoyer to throw for 230 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, and Baltimore QB Joe Flacco is a far superior quarterback who is coming off of a contest in which he threw for 345 yards on an astounding 62 attempts. The Ravens will need to contain Pittsburgh star RB Le’Veon Bell, who rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown while also catching six passes for 88 yards against the Browns.

Two trends to consider are that Mike Tomlin is 3-12 ATS (20%) on the road in the first month of the season as the Steelers head coach, but home teams where the line is +3 to -3, coming off a loss in the first month of the season, after closing out the previous season with 2+ straight defeats, are a pitiful 28-62 ATS (31%) since 1983.

WR Lance Moore (groin) is questionable for the Steelers and CB Lardarius Webb (back) is questionable for the Ravens.

At the end of the second quarter of the season opener, Shaun Suisham kicked a 34-yard field goal to give the Steelers a 27-3 lead over the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers, however, would pretty much mail it in the rest of the game. They collectively blew a 24-point lead in almost one quarter of action. By the time there was 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, these teams were tied at 27.

The offense in the game stalled at that point, with both teams failing to score until Suisham’s game-winning field goal with no time remaining. WR Antonio Brown was unguardable all day, catching five balls for 116 yards and a touchdown. WR Markus Wheaton lived up to the hype of being a breakout player this season, catching six passes for 97 yards. This tandem of Brown and Wheaton was able to get open whenever they pleased and QB Ben Roethlisberger had no trouble finding them.

New Steelers RB LeGarrette Blount was also able to barrel his way into the end zone for a touchdown. The Steelers defense will need to be better against Baltimore on Thursday. They allowed 183 rushing yards and 230 passing yards to what really is a weak Browns offense.

The Ravens had taken a 16-15 lead with just about six minutes left in the fourth quarter after Steve Smith caught an 80-yard touchdown from Joe Flacco. The Ravens failed to get the two-point conversion and took the field to defend the Bengals on their next drive. Right away, QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green connected on a 77-yard touchdown and that put the Bengals up 21-16. They would also get their two-point conversion on a pass from Dalton to WR Mohamed Sanu. Trailing 23-16, the Ravens were unable to score the rest of the game.

The Ravens offense was able to move the ball effectively but just couldn’t finish when they needed to. WR Steve Smith caught seven passes for 118 yards and a touchdown in his Ravens debut. Dennis Pitta hauled in 10 catches for 83 yards.

On the ground, Bernard Pierce lost a fumble for Baltimore and was replaced by Justin Forsett, who really performed well. Forsett rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown while also catching five passes for 14 yards. They will need to find a way to score touchdowns against the Steelers.

Baltimore’s defense was excellent against the rush, allowing only 79 yards on the ground. Outside of the A.J. Green touchdown, they would’ve been able to live with their performance against the pass. They can’t allow big plays like that against Antonio Brown and the Steelers.

 

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NFL

Steelers (1-0) @ Ravens (0-1) -- Lot of distractions for Ravens in short week with Ray Rice debacle; they lost at home to Bengals last week, allowing 77-yard bomb with 4:58 left after rallying back from down 15-0 at half to take lead. Ravens won four of last six games in this series, with last five series games decided by 3 points or less. Only once in Steelers' last six visits here was game deicded by more than four points. Pitt blew 27-3 halftime lead at home last week, won 30-27 late despite Browns gaining 387 yards, 183 on ground. Steelers lost last three road openers, all by 10+ points- they covered once in last seven road openers, with five of the seven games staying under the total.