It’s two AFC teams that had playoff expectations entering this season – but struggling — in the Sunday night game in Week 6 as the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Los Angeles Chargers, who are nearly TD favourites.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

Over the past 15 years or so, whenever the Steelers or Chargers played the story line was usually a matchup of 2004 first-round quarterbacks in Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and the Chargers’ Philip Rivers. Both are going to Canton someday even though Rivers has never reached a Super Bowl; Big Ben has won two rings. Well, of course, Roethlisberger was lost for this season in Week 2 to an elbow injury.

Going to be tough for either of these teams to win their division so it might be Wild Card or bust. The Chargers were the AFC’s top Wild-Card team last year, while the Steelers came up just a few points short of winning the AFC North and missed the post-season.

These teams met Week 13 last year in Pittsburgh and the Chargers had an unlikely 33-30 win as Michael Badgley kicked a 29-yard field goal on the final play. The Steelers were up 23-7 late in the third quarter. They had been 174-0-1 all-time when leading by at least 16 points in a home game. Rivers threw for 299 yards and two scores and Big Ben 281 and two TDs.

Pittsburgh has covered seven of the past 10 meetings. The over/under is 5-5 in those.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh was knocked off at home by Baltimore on Sunday 26-23 in overtime. QB Mason Rudolph was viciously hit by Ravens safety Earl Thomas and knocked out cold. It was quite frightening. Not expected that Rudolph will play this week, meaning it will be unknown rookie Devlin Hodges. He went undrafted out of Samford – Hodges is the all-time passing yardage leader in the lower-tier FCS and won that division’s version of the Heisman Trophy as a senior — and was 7-for-9 for 68 yards in place of Rudolph against the Ravens. The guy is a champion duck caller and naturally is nicknamed “Duck.” Receiver James Washington left Sunday’s loss with a shoulder injury. The Steelers are 7-1-1 ATS in their past nine following an ATS win.

Los Angeles Chargers

Really no explanation for the Chargers losing at home to the previously winless Denver Broncos 20-13 on Sunday. The Broncos had been the only team in the NFL yet to force a turnover and forced the Bolts into three of them. L.A. had just 246 yards and rushed for only 35. Melvin Gordon made his season debut off a contract holdout and had 31 yards on 12 carries. Austin Ekeler was a fantasy superstar the first four weeks and got a scant three carries with Gordon back but did catch 15 passes (franchise record) for 86 yards. Tight end Hunter Henry, defensive end Melvin Ingram and Badgley all missed the game injured. The Chargers are 6-1 ATS in their past seven following an ATS loss.

Who Will Win Steelers vs. Chargers?