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The Carolina Panthers finally got in the win column last week, but will have a harder time getting a victory when they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers for Thursday Night Football.
The latest NFL Sports betting odds for this game as posted by BetMania have the Steelers listed as 13.5 point favorites and the total set at 36.5.
The Steelers suffered a close loss at home last week to the New York Jets. The Steelers were
Panthers Play Pittsburgh On Thursday Night
without Troy Polamalu who sat out the last game with an Achilles injury. He is the best defender on the Steelers and is questionable for the game against the Panthers. It is highly unlikely that the Steelers would want to risk further injury to Polamalu against the lowly Panthers.
The Steelers offense has played all year with injuries, most notably to the offensive line, but this week they will get a boost as Heath Miller returns to the lineup. The pass catching Tight end missed two games due to a concussion and will return to the lineup. Ben Roethlisberger can always use an extra target and Rashard Mendenhall is having a great year running the ball.
Rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen notched his first win as the starting quarterback of the Carolina Panthers when he led his team to a victory over the lifeless Arizona Cardinals. Despite the poor record the Panthers still boast a tough defense to score against. The Panthers have the no. 12 ranked overall defense in the NFL and No 8 against the pass. The defense has had trouble late because they have been on the field most of the game and often they fade.
The Steelers don’t have much to play for in this game as they have all but locked up the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. The Steelers are 4-11 against the spread (ATS) in their last 15 games as a home favorite of 10.5 or greater and just 1-4 ATS in their last five games as a favorite of 10.5 or greater overall. The Panthers are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games in December and 4-1 ATS in their last five games as an underdog of 10.5 or greater.
The Panthers are playing inspired football and still give it their all in every game. While they will not pull the upset, they will keep this game close and the points look like the way to go.
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