On Thursday Night Football, the Pittsburgh Steelers will face the New England Patriots, and for once, the Steelers might have a more impressive offense than their opponent. The Patriots have not been performing well in their past three games, scoring only 13 points in total.
They were shut out for the second time this season in a 6-0 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Before that, they lost 10-7 to the New York Giants on Nov. 26 and 10-6 to the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 12. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Patriots are the first team in 85 years to allow no more than 10 points in three straight games while losing all three.
Bailey Zappe was expected to help the Patriots turn things around in his third start on Sunday, but he ended up completing only 13 of 25 passes for 141 yards. Zappe replaced Mac Jones, who was benched after throwing for 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in the first 11 games. The Patriots are already struggling, and now they have to face the Steelers on a short week.
SCORE PROJECTION
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said that it’s about rest, recovery, being physically and mentally ready to go, and adapting to what the Steelers do. One of the adaptations they will have to make is game planning for Mitch Trubisky, who will be taking over the quarterback position for Kenny Pickett. Pickett sustained an ankle injury during a 24-10 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday and underwent surgery on Monday. Trubisky threw for 117 yards and a TD on 11-for-17 passing against Arizona, but he knows it will be a challenge facing the Patriots.
Mitchell Trubisky, the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, spoke highly of the team’s longtime AFC rivals, the New England Patriots. He commended the players on their strong skills, especially those on the front line, and praised the coaching staff for their ability to confuse the opposing quarterback with different defensive looks.
Despite the respect he has for the Patriots, Trubisky acknowledges that Thursday’s game will be a good challenge for the Steelers. Both teams are struggling to score points, and they may also be without some of their top playmakers due to injuries. Rhamondre Stevenson, a running back for the Patriots, is out due to a high ankle sprain, and several other players from both teams are limited or have not practiced this week due to injuries.
BETTING PREDICTIONS
The Point Spread Line opened -6.5 Steelers favorites, and since then has moved a half a point towards Patriots, and staying currently at Steelers -6.
In reverse-to-point spread markets, a drastic move has been observed in Game Total markets for this game. The opening line on Total at 35, dropped to 30 points, and knowing how big difficulties both teams have in scoring points, desperate bookmakers looking for some money on over, and doesn’t look like they getting any.
We are still collecting data and injury updates, so please check out later for our betting predictions.
