Steelers vs Patriots: Steelers Short-Handed as They Open Season vs. Pats
By Charles Jay
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have been thinking that as long as Tom Brady was going to be out of the lineup, that might even things out a little as they begin their 2015 season against the New England Patriots, but they had no such luck, as Brady was able to overturn his Deflategate suspension in court. So now they proceed as the team that is short-handed in personnel as they travel to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA for this lidlfiter that begins at 8:30 PM ET on NBC. Keep in mind that if you are a Vietbet customer, you can place wagers on the side, total and various props through the magic of Live Betting Extra while the action is literally taking place.
As everyone knows, Ben Roethlisberger is a gunslinger; someone who can sometimes carry a team on his back. It does appear that he might have to do more than usual in this game, as he is going to be without the man who may have been as viable a Most Valuable Player candidate as anyone last season.
Le’Veon Bell, who accounted for 35% of the Pittsburgh offense last year, is suspended for the first two games because of a marijuana bust he took a year ago. Bell had 1361 rushing yards and 854 receiving in an astounding 2014 performance, and the only consolation is that New England running back LeGarrette Blount got arrested with him and will be suspended for this game too.
Steelers vs Patriots Betting Line
In the Thursday night football odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at Vietbet, the Pats are favored at home:
- New England Patriots -7 (-105)
- Pittsburgh Steelers +7 (-115)
- Over 52 points -110
- Under 52 points -110
The Steelers are not only missing Bell, but they are also without the guy who was expected to take another step forward, wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who is on a substance abuse suspension. If we can operate on the assumption that Antonio Brown is not going to catch 129 passes again, it makes sense that Bryant is going to be needed. And finally, the Steelers will be missing Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey, who is out of action with an ankle injury. He is on injured reserve and will not be eligible to play until Week 12 at the earliest.
That’s a lot of people to have missing, but as Vietbet customers know, the Pittsburgh defense may be going through more of a period of transition. They have lost team leaders like Jason Worilds, Ike Taylor and future Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu, and perhaps most significantly, they will be without Dick LeBeau on the sidelines. The veteran defensive coordinator is already a Hall of Fame member, and even though there is going to be some continuity with Keith Butler, who was the linebacker coach under LeBeau, who knows if they’ll duplicate those zone blitzes that LeBeau became so well-known for.
Maybe this is not a good time for all this transition, as Pittsburgh was 27th in the league in pass defense last season. This may have to become a shootout, and that might accommodate New England pretty well, as the Pats have played 32 of their last 45 games over the total.
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