The Pittsburgh Steelers earned a hard-fought win over the Tennessee Titans last week and now have a little bit of momentum. They’re in the thick of the race for a wild card spot in the AFC but will have to pull a big upset next Sunday if they’re to avoid slipping back. Can Pittsburgh put up a good fight in this spot or will the Chiefs roll as the oddsmakers expect?

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

Road contest have not been kind to Pittsburgh as they’ve dropped seven of their last nine away games. They are also 1-3 SU in their last four as a dog and have dropped three straight as a road dog.

Kansas City has now won 13 straight games in December. They’ve also covered five straight as a favorite and are 20-3 in their last 23 as a home favorite.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have won two of three but it’s hard to get all too excited. This is still a team that’s 2-3-1 in their last six contests with the two wins coming by the narrowest of margins. They barely eked out a win over the Tennessee Titans last week when the Titans got stuck on the Steelers 16-yard line on the last series of the game. The Steelers previous victory was an escape when the Baltimore Ravens missed a potential game-winning two-point conversion.

The Steelers offense is pulse-less these days as they’re averaging a paltry 19.3 points per game over the last month. The passing game is spotty and the running game is non-existent. With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the twilight of his career, he needs help from the ground game but the Steelers only rush for 84.6 rushing yards per game – the second-fewest in the NFL.

Can Pittsburgh really go on the road and stun the Chiefs without a solid day from Najee Harris? Unlikely. The numbers point to a Steelers loss here.

Kansas City Chiefs

There were all sorts of questions about the Chiefs when they were 3-4 but when you take a look up at the standings, this team now has the top spot in the AFC and is riding a seven-game winning streak.

The big difference has been the defense, which has allowed just 13.3 points per game over their last seven. That’s more than two touchdowns better than the 29.0 points per game that they allowed in their first seven games this season.

As a result, the Chiefs offense doesn’t have to do as much and is getting more opportunities. That’s taken some pressure off of them and allowed them to shine.

One key factor in this game is to keep an eye on the COVID list. Travis Kelce, who is double-vaxxed, has found his way on to the COVID-19 list. It looks like he’ll probably play but we’ll have to see how widespread this is through the team. Check the newswires before placing your bets.

NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Steelers vs. Chiefs?