The Jets have had a ton of well-publicized problems this season, but they have won 2 straight and are still in the hunt for the playoffs. They will be facing a Titans’ team that has lost 3 straight games where star RB Chris Johnson and the defense has really struggled.
This game is a big one, as the loser is likely out of the playoff picture. The Vikings snapped a 2-game losing streak in their last game, but they are only 1-4 on the road this season while the Rams are 4-3 at home.
A few weeks back the Bucs were hot and in the playoff picture, but they have lost 3 straight and if they lose this game they can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.
The Cowboys and Steelers are both at 7-6 and in the playoff hunt and the loser of this game will be behind the 8-ball in their post-season push. The Steelers have lost 3 of their last 4 games and even with Ben Roethlisberger back under center they suffered a shocking home loss to the Chargers in their last game.
Venue/ Stadium: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
Time/Date: 4:25 PM EST Sunday, December 16, 2012
NFL Odds From: BetOnline
Moneyline: Steelers -110 / Cowboys -110
Spread: Steelers -1
Over/Under: 44
ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!
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Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys Preview
On the other side of the coin the Cowboys have won 2 in a row and 4 of their last 5 games and Tony Romo is playing great football. NFL lines have the Steelers as 1-point road favorites with a total of 44.
In their last games the Cowboys beat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-19 and the Steelers lost to the San Diego Chargers 34-24.
On the season the Steelers are 5-7-1 ATS and they have an Over/Under record of 6-7 and the Cowboys are 5-8 ATS and they have an Over/Under record of 6-7.
The Cowboys’ offense has been playing well, but they may be without WR Dez Bryant in this game and that loss may be a big blow, as he has been en fuego in the last few games. Even if he cannot go Romo has a couple other legit receivers and TE Jason Witten. Romo ha averaged over 300 passing yards in his last 6 games and in that span he only has 3 INT. The Steelers have the best pass defense, but their secondary is really banged up and in the San Diego loss they gave up 11 3rd downs through the air.
DeMarco Murray has been decent since missing several games with an injury and he has to help Romo out on offense. He will be facing a Pittsburgh run defense that gave up 94 rushing yards to the Chargers last week and overall ranks 5th in the league.[soliloquy id=”82219″]
Big Ben passed for 285 yards with 3 TD and 1 INT in the loss to San Diego, but he got little help from the rushing offense. He has a good WR corps, but WR Mike Wallace cannot have multiple dropped balls like he did last week.
Pittsburgh RB Rashard Mendenhall is suspended for this game and RB Jonathan Dwyer will be the main back. In the Chargers game he only rushed for 32 yards.
The Cowboys pass defense is solid ranking 8th in the league, but their run defense has struggled. Their run D ranks 16th in the league and even winning their last 2 games they gave up an average of 7.2 yards per carry.
In some betting trends for this non-conference match up the Steelers are 3-1-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record, 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games, and they have an Over record of 6-2 in their last 8 road games.
The Cowboys are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games, 5-17 ATS in their last 22 home games, and they have an Over record of 4-1 in their last 5 games.
Jason’s Pick: The Cowboys are the home underdog, but they are hot and facing a banged up Pittsburgh defense they will win and improve their playoff chances.
The Redskins have won 4 straight to get back in the playoff picture, but will Robert Griffin III be available for this game. He took a hard hit in the Skins last win and while his injury looked pretty bad he feels better and may be able to play in this game.
AFC West Have-Nots Do Battle in Week 15 – Chiefs at Raiders
Two of the worst teams in the worst division in the NFL will try to save a little face when the 2-11 Kansas City Chiefs pay visit to the 3-10 Oakland Raiders in Week 15. Both teams have been seriously underwhelming all season long – the only silver lining being the fact that both are destined to get a high pick in the 2013 draft.
Surging Seahawks Look to Stay in Control of Wild Card Against Buffalo in Week 15
The Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills do battle in Toronto this weekend with one team looking toward the post season and the other looking toward next season. The Seattle Seahawks will look to make it three wins in a row Sunday and will hope to maintain control of the NFC Wild Card picture while the Bills assume their all-too-familiar spoiler role.
Battle of Fledgling Florida Teams – Jags Head to Miami in Week 15
The plummeting Miami Dolphins host the worst team in the NFL this Sunday when the Jacksonville Jaguars pay visit in a battle for Florida bragging rights. Both teams seem to have some puzzle pieces in place and both teams will be evaluating talent for next season’s roster so there is still plenty to play for. It may not be the most exciting game of the weekend but there are still jobs on the line.
Red-Hot Broncos Face Ice Cold Ravens in Week 15
Division leaders clash in Baltimore Sunday as the Denver Broncos, winners of eight straight games take on the suddenly struggling Baltimore Ravens, losers of two straight games ahead of this Week 15 showdown. While the Broncos have been impressive on both sides of the ball the last couple of months the Ravens have been slightly underwhelming as demonstrated by their two straight defeats.
Who’s Losing Streak Will End Sunday? Lions Travel to Arizona in Week 15
Two teams on significant losing streaks will try to snap their funks when the Detroit Lions head to the desert to take on the lowly Arizona Cardinals. For Detroit, they will be looking to put an end to a five game losing streak while the Cardinals will hope to end an ugly nine game skid that culminated with a 58-0 loss at Seattle in Week 14.
The Eagles will not be making the playoffs are their hugely disappointing season, but at least they are coming off a win, which snapped their 8-game losing streak.
The Rams and Bills are still in the playoff race, but the loser of this non-conference game can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.
The Bengals have won 4 straight and are now tied with the Steelers for 2nd place in the AFC North and they are in the playoff picture. The same goes for the Cowboys, who are tied with the Redskins for 2nd place in the NFC East and only trail the Giants by 1 game.
The Colts have been one of the surprising teams in the league this season and they are 8-4 on the season and 5-1 at home. Indy has won 2 straight and 6 of their last 7 and on top of that they already beat the Titans in their house a few weeks back.
The Bears have lost 3 of their last 4 games and with their slide they are tied with the Packers for first place in the NFC North.
Headline: AFC’s Best Tangle on Monday Night – Texans at Patriots in Week 14
The schedule makers really got this Week 14 Monday Nighter right! The two top teams in the AFC and the two odds-on favorites to play for the right to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl in February meet in the marquee matchup of Week 14 – and it happens to be on National TV. We will know a lot about the state of the AFC pecking order Monday night – I can’t wait.
