After winning their ninth straight game, the Pittsburgh Steelers open as heavy favorites on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Steelers put a beating on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10. Though the line finished with the home team as just a touchdown favorite, Pittsburgh ultimately blew out their division rivals by 26 points – a game that could have been an even bigger massacre had the Steelers kept their starters in throughout the fourth quarter.
When it came time for oddsmakers to set the line for the Steelers Week 11 matchup against the Jaguars, it was no surprise to see that Mike Tomlin’s team opened as massive front-runners. Currently, Pittsburgh sits as 10-point favorites, courtesy of The Action Network.
Why the Steelers are heavy favorites
When it comes to these two teams, there’s really isn’t much need for a thorough explanation here. The Pittsburgh Steelers are 9-0 for the first time in the history of the franchise that dates all the way back to 1933. If that’s not reason enough, Jacksonville currently sits on a 1-8 record after losing a heart-breaker contest to the Green Bay Packers last week.
For the Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger is coming off what is arguably the best game of his 2020 season. Against Cincinnati, he threw for 333 yards while connecting on 4 touchdown passes and throwing 0 interceptions, en route to a 110.1 quarterback rating. His ability to convert in the red zone combined with his improved decision making has resulted in efficient passing performances this year.
Defensively, the Steelers may have struggled against the run over the last few games, but their pass defense and ability to get after the quarterback is as good as any team in the league from week to week. Star edge defender, T.J. Watt, earned 2.0 sacks last week – bringing his total up to 9.0 in his first 9 games of the 2020 season. With one of the healthiest defensive units in the league, there’s no reason to think that success won’t continue against the Jaguars.
Steelers still need to be careful
Despite their successes this year, Pittsburgh still needs to be careful not to drop a game to inferior competition. Not two weeks ago, we saw how much they struggled against a 2-6 Dallas Cowboys team that was without their star quarterback and both starting offensive tackles.
Meanwhile, as bad as they may be at times, Jacksonville has lost their last two games by a combined 6 points, and they played the Packers very well on the road in Week 10 – even holding the lead in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars may not look like a threat, but Pittsburgh can’t afford to take them lightly.
This 10-point line could shift even more heavily towards the Steelers by game day, and there’s no reason to think that Pittsburgh can’t blow this team out much like they did against the Bengals last week. Keep an eye out for changes as we approach Sunday.