NFL Betting Odds – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Miami Dolphins
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7 SU, 4-10-1 ATS) at Miami Dolphins (7-8 SU, 8-7 ATS)
Sunday, January 3 – 1 PM ET
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
PITT is 1-5-1 ATS in its last seven games
PITT has won 17 of its last 25 games SU
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PITT has lost five of its last seven games SU
PITT has played four of its last six games OVER the total
PITT has covered two of its last nine road games
PITT has lost five of its last seven road games SU
PITT has played four of its last six road games OVER the total
MIA has covered four of its last six games
MIA has covered three of its last 12 home games
MIA has won four of its last six home games SU
MIA has played five of its last seven home games OVER the total
The Steelers are still alive. In last week’s game they got out to an early lead, then let the Ravens back into the contest, only to come back and secure a 23-20 win in a game where they were held to less than 300 yards of offense. In the process they tied with Baltimore at 8-7 (even though they are 4-10-1 ATS in the NFL betting odds), and may still be able to defend their Super Bowl title.
What needs to happen is for them to win, with victories by the Patriots, Bengals and Raiders, OR wins by the Bengals, Raiders and Chiefs. 
Miami is 7-8, but believe it or not, they could still conceivably get to the post-season. Here’s how it works: the Dolphins have to beat Pittsburgh first, then they have to hope that the Patriots, Bengals, Raiders AND Browns win their respective games. If you were to bet the whole thing as a parlay you would probably be looking at something in the neighborhood of 400/1.
Here are some of the head-to-head NFL football betting trends that relate to this matchup:
PITT has won four of the last five meetings SU
Six of the last seven meetings have gone UNDER the total
PITT has won and covered four of the last six meetings as the road team
Four of the last five meetings in Miami have gone UNDER the total
Ricky Williams is a big question mark for this game. Williams injured his right shoulder in Sunday’s loss to Houston, and had to cede his running back duties to Lex Hilliard (no relation to Lex Luger). Guards Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas also got injured, as did tackle Vernon Carey. Starting center Jake Grove should be able to play.
Between the possibility of a third-string running back starting, the musical chairs on the offensive line, and the fact that Patrick White has not done very much out of the Wildcat formation (seven rushing yards and no completions in the last seven games), the burden of scoring (and winning in the NFL betting odds) falls heavily on the shoulders of Chad Henne.
Don’t count the kid out though, as he has been taking to the air a lot more in the last four games, throwing the ball 182 times, and he’s throwing it pretty well. He’s boasting a 63% completion rate and four TD’s, but six interceptions.
You get the impression that the Steelers are regaining a little of that “swagger,” to use an over-used term once again, as they came back in dramatic, last-second fashion against the Packers a couple of weekends ago and then beat the Ravens on Sunday.
Troy Polamalu, who has been out for a while, is going to try to play, although his posterior collateral ligament injury may still prevent that. Hines Ward has two hamstring injuries, but you that he is not staying out of this game as long as there is a chance at a playoff spot. Ben Roethlisberger is rolling right now, with 762 yards on 79 attempts (that’s 9.6 yards an attempt) the last two weeks.
Ward and Santonio Holmes have both exceeded 1000 yards. Heath Miller has 71 catches and five TD’s. Rookie Mike Wallace is averaging almost 19 yards a catch. Pittsburgh has better weapons, for sure.
The Dolphins have played six of their seven games at Land Shark Stadium over the total, and this one may have to be won through the air. If that’s the case, we like what Roethlisberger has at his disposal a lot better than Henne’s “pop gun.” We’re taking the Steelers in the BetUS NFL betting odds.
OUR PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH BY 7
