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The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots both have the same regular season goal — secure home field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs leading up to Super Bowl 52. Both are in position to do just that, with the opposition standing in their way.
After the Week 15 grudge match has concluded, everyone will have a better grasp on what lies ahead, in regards to playoff positioning. If the Steelers are victorious, they would need just one more win, against either the Texans or Browns, to lock up the No. 1 seed in the AFC. A loss, and they could still secure a bye, but would need help, by way of a Patriots loss, to get the top seed and home field advantage.
There is a lot on the line this Sunday at Heinz Field, and everyone wants to know who will be victorious when the dust settles. With that said, it is time for our weekly check on who the experts like in this massive regular season battle.
It should be noted the Patriots are 3-point favorites in this game, marking only the second time the Steelers haven’t been the favorite leading up to the game, and the first time Pittsburgh has been viewed as home underdogs.
Las Vegas is leaning slightly towards the Patriots, and the same can be said for the experts at CBS Sports. Of their eight experts who make weekly selections, only two believe the Steelers will pull of the upset and secure their place in the AFC Playoff Picture.
If you are looking for a more pro-Steelers website, shockingly, the haters here at SB Nation have five of their nine experts taking the Steelers. At ESPN, they are almost split down the middle, with a slight edge to the Patriots in Week 15.
These are only a handful of websites who register NFL expert picks, and if you are like me, you want to know what all the other experts think too. This is where NFL Pick Watch comes in. This website takes all NFL expert picks and compiles them into one easy-to-read graph.
According to NFL Pick Watch, 58-percent of experts like New England to go into Heinz Field and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers — again.
Las Vegas likes the Patriots, and the experts like the Patriots, but will the Steelers hold serve at home and shock the NFL world? Only time will tell...