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Don’t look now, but the Pittsburgh Steelers control their own destiny heading in the last quarter of the NFL season. Sitting in the sixth spot in the AFC, the Steelers would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. But the season goes on, so the Steelers have to continue to bring it each week as they drive towards the post season.
Next up on the schedule is the Arizona Cardinals. Since it’s been over eight years since the Steelers have traveled to Phoenix, it’s difficult to gauge how these particular players will fare in the desert. So rather than worry about history, the Steelers need to keep their eye on the not-to-distant future.
When it comes to the betting lines for Sunday’s game, the following information is the current consensus spread and over/under for the Steelers this week as reported by oddsshark.com.
Game Info: Week 14
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 4:25 PM
Betting line: -2.5
Over/under: 43.5
Last Regular Season Meeting: Steelers (W) 25-13 vs Cardinals
Win streak: 3 games PIT
Last 3 Meetings: PIT 3 - 0 AZ
Last 10 Meetings: PIT 7 - 3 AZ
The opening line on the game was at -3.5 when the schedule was released in April. Even with the Steelers at 7-5 and the Cardinals sitting at 3-8-1, the line has moved slightly toward the home team. With the number of injuries the Steelers have sustained, particularly on offense, there are still many who are not convinced the Steelers can keep up their current run.
Being favored on Sunday, the Steelers have a current moneyline of -140 to win the game straight up, which is the equivalent of 5/7 odds. So a $20 bet placed on the Steelers over the Cardinals would have a payout of $34.29 ($14.29 plus the original $20 bet). The Cardinals have a current moneyline of +125, or 5/4 odds. Therefore the same $20 bet placed on Arizona to win straight up would have a payout of $45 ($25 pus the original $20 bet) .
According to Oddsshark.com, the Steelers are 6-1 straight up in their last 7 games and the total has gone UNDER in their last 5 road games. The Steelers also have gone OVER in 4 of their last 5 games in Arizona and are 4-2 against the spread in their last 6 games against the Cardinals.
If looking at the futures bets, the Steelers odds to win the Super Bowl vary from 60/1 to 100/1. They also have varying odds to win the AFC Championship from 30/1 odds to 50/1. As for winning the AFC North, the Steelers are at 22/1 odds and they are projected to place second the AFC North ahead of Cleveland at 33/1. Baltimore has the best odds to win the division at 1/40 while Cincinnati has been eliminated from the AFC North race.