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Week 6: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans NFL Preview & Free Pick

Pittsburgh vs Tennessee Odds & Prediction

The Tennessee Titans come into this game at 1-4, but even that doesn’t tell how badly the team has played this year. All of the Titans four losses have come by at least 21 points.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans
LP Field
Thursday October 11, 8:20 PM EST on NFL Network
NFL Betting Odds from Bovada
Moneyline: Pittsburgh (-225) Tennessee (+195)
NFL Spread: Steelers -5 (-110) vs. Titans +5 (-110)
Over/Under: 43

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The Steelers pulled out a much-needed victory against the Eagles last week. Pittsburgh comes into this game at 2-2. Can the Steelers pick up a win on the road on a short week or will the home team play inspired football this time around?

Pittsburgh

Shaun Suisham kicked a 34 yard field goal as time expired last week to push the Steelers past the Eagles 16-14. The defense led the way by holding a very talented Eagles offense to just 14 points. Pittsburgh’s defense is clearly still one of the best in the NFL. Brett Keisel and Ziggy Hood are nice anchors on the defensive line.

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The linebackers are stacked with Woodley, Timmons, Foote, Worilds, and Harrison. There isn’t a better group of linebackers in the NFL. Troy Polamalu is one of the best play makers in the league, and he is terrific at the back of the defense. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, Polamalu will miss Thursday’s game with a calf injury. The Steelers are fifth in the league in total defense.

The Steelers offense has been one-dimensional so far this year. Rashard Mendenhall is out, and the Steelers running game has been non-existent. Ben Roethlisberger is still running for his life due to a poor offensive front, but when he has time to throw he has been very good. Big Ben has thrown 8 touchdowns compared to just a single interception. Pittsburgh is averaging 23.2 points per game.

Tennessee

Matt Hasselbeck got his first start of the season last week, and it didn’t go well. Hasselbeck threw for just 200 yards in a 30-7 loss at Minnesota. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

Jake Locker’s injury is what opened this up for Hasselbeck to start, but some thought he might be better for the team anyways. It will be interesting to see what happens here when Locker is healthy again. I would expect Locker to take over again unless Hasselbeck plays tremendous this week. Chris Johnson has gained 24 rushing yards or less in four of the teams five games this year. The Titans absolutely need him to be much better than that. If Tennessee is going to win games, Johnson has to be a star.

The Titans defense ranks last in the league in points allowed. They are giving up 36.2 points per game so far this season. The fewest amount of points this team has allowed all season is 30. Clearly, this is a unit that needs some serious work. They clearly miss Cortland Finnegan in the secondary, but the front seven must do a better job pressuring the opposing quarterback.

I actually think this is a good spot for the Titans. Pittsburgh hasn’t been very good this year, and the Titans get a national television audience at home on an important midweek game. I like the home underdog.

Free NFL Pick: Titans +5

By Kyle Hunter

Kyle Hunter sports picks – A degree in finance and a great ability to follow important trends and statistics set him apart from the rest. Totals are Kyle's specialty, so look for a lot of totals picks from NBA, NCAAF, & the NFL. Check out his plays today.