Carolina (6-2) at Pittsburgh (5-2-1)
When: Thursday, November 7th 2018
Where: Heinz Field,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Time: 8:20 ET | TV: FOX
Opening Odds: Pittsburgh -5.5/50
The Week 10 schedule is void of any real marquee matchups, but the Thursday night game between the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers is probably the best we have. After sluggish starts to 2018, both teams have turned it on lately and are in prime position for a playoff spot as we have passed the halfway mark of the season. The Steelers have used an improved defense to run off four straight victories including a 23-16 at rival Baltimore last week to stay in first place in the AFC North by a half-game over Cincinnati. No. 2 running back James Conner continues to shine in place of hold-out Le’Veon Bell and seems primed to take over as the franchise back if the Steelers decide to part ways with Bell. Conner had a fourth straight 100-yard game Sunday with 107 on 24 carries while adding seven catches for 56 yards and a score. The defense has surrendered 21 points or less during the winning streak after allowing an average of 29 points the first four games. After a loss at Washington in Week 6, the Panthers have won three consecutive games while scoring 78 points in the latest two victories over Baltimore and Tampa Bay. Carolina is trying to keep pace with 7-1 New Orleans in the NFC South and will play the Saints twice over the final three weeks of the regular season. If you want, OLBG recommends claiming the bet365 free bet for this prime time matchup. This will be the seventh all-time meeting between the franchises, with the Panthers winning the first in 1996 and the Steelers the next five – and Pittsburgh has covered the spread in every matchup.
The Panthers have a pretty good dual-threat running back as well in Christian McCaffrey, who totaled 157 scrimmage yards (79 rushing, 78 receiving) in Sunday’s 42-28 win over Tampa Bay. McCaffrey scored once over the first six games, but has found the endzone twice in each of the past two games. Tight end Greg Olsen continues to be a favorite target of Cam Newton, hauling in a scoring pass for the third straight games. Carolina’s defense is tough against the run (94.1), but vulnerable through the air (250.6 – 19th) and is led by linebacker Luke Kuechly, who leads the team with 64 tackles and had a club-best 14 in the last meeting with Pittsburgh in 2014.
Though Roethlisberger has made it clear he’s not a fan of Thursday night games, the veteran quarterback sure does well in them. Roethlisberger has thrown seven touchdowns without an interception in his last two Thursday contests while Antonio Brown has three touchdown receptions in each of his last two Thursday night affairs. Brown has eight touchdowns in his last six games overall as well as scoring twice to go along with 10 catches in his last meeting versus Carolina. Fellow wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster leads the team in receptions (53), receiving yards (672) and 20+ yard catches (nine).
I like the way both teams are playing, but the Pittsburgh defense is really stepping up and both of Carolina’s losses this year have been on the road. When Big Ben and the Steelers get on a roll, they’re really hard to stop. I’ll lay the points here.
Pick: Steelers -4
Betting Trends:
- Panthers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games in November.
- Panthers are 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Panthers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Panthers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
- Panthers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games.
- Steelers are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games.
- Steelers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
- Steelers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Steelers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Steelers are 2-5 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Steelers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win.
- Steelers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games in Week 10.
- Steelers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games on grass.
- Steelers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 home games.
- Steelers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Over is 6-1 in Panthers last 7 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in Panthers last 6 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 4-1 in Panthers last 5 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 4-1 in Panthers last 5 games in November.
- Over is 8-2 in Panthers last 10 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
- Over is 18-7-1 in Panthers last 26 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 5-2 in Panthers last 7 games overall.
- Over is 5-2 in Panthers last 7 games on grass.
- Over is 11-5 in Panthers last 16 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Over is 35-16-3 in Panthers last 54 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 5-0 in Steelers last 5 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 7-1 in Steelers last 8 games on grass.
- Over is 5-1 in Steelers last 6 home games.
- Under is 5-1 in Steelers last 6 games in Week 10.
- Under is 4-1 in Steelers last 5 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1 in Steelers last 5 Thursday games.
- Over is 5-2 in Steelers last 7 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 7-3 in Steelers last 10 games overall.
- Under is 17-8 in Steelers last 25 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Panthers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
