It’s playoff time! The most exciting time of the year, when we get rid of the pretenders of the NFL and get down to the teams that actually might get to the Super Bowl. As part of Wild Card Weekend, we get the Houston Texans, the #5 seed in the AFC, travelling to the Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers, the AFC #4 seed and winners of the AFC North. Set for a Monday Night kickoff, here is the opening line for the game:
HOUSTON: -3.5
As you can see from the link above, the sports bettors like Houston
(12-5) in this matchup. Mainly riding the strength of their defense, even as it had its struggles against the Colts, Houston is seen as one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs. Riding a league-high 9-game winning streak also helps the Texans in this opening line. Pittsburgh (10-7), even coming in as the home team and having overcome their bitter division rival at home this past Sunday, is not seen as strong a team. Houston is not a huge favorite, but given that most home teams get a default of -3.0, this indicates confidence that the road team will prevail.
OVER/UNDER (O/U): 39.5
The oddsmakers also see this as a lower scoring affair. The over/under is set at 39.5. Given that Houston brings the #2 scoring defense, and Pittsburgh is known for playing tough defense at home, this should not shock observers of either team. Also, neither team is a consistent offensive juggernaut, even with their offensive fireworks this past weekend. Especially if both offensive lines struggle to contain the formidable defensive fronts they will face, a low-scoring game does seem in order.
Overall, the oddsmakers expect a low-scoring/close affair that will feel so, so stressful, and so, so familiar to fans of both franchises. Of course, as we get closer to game-time, you might see some shifting of the line, based on weather, injury and other factors that might impact what the oddsmakers sense will happen. However, given the way both teams play, it does not seem likely that there will be that big a shift in either the spread or the over/under.
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