Steelers vs. Lions Point Spread: NFL Week 16 Odds, Prediction
The Steelers are coming a convincing 28-15 win over Miami on Monday night that follows a 27-22 victory in Baltimore in Week 14, and now enjoy a one-game lead over the Ravens atop the division while also holding edge on tiebreakers. The Lions find themselves outside the NFC playoff picture following last week’s 41-34 road loss to the Los Angeles Rams and have alternated between wins and losses while losing five of their past nine contests.
Despite their recent uneven results, the Lions look to Sunday’s clash as 7-point home favourites on the NFL Week 16 odds. The Steelers lag as +260 underdogs on the NFL moneyline and the total is listed at 52.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Lions have enjoyed little success when facing the Steelers, going 1-9-1 in 11 meetings since 1983, capped by a 16-16 tie at Ford Field in November 2021. Indeed, the Lions have historically struggled to generate offence when facing Pittsburgh, scoring 20 or few points in nine of their past 11 clashes and falling to defeat by double-digit margins on five occasions over that stretch. Despite those woes, Detroit has remained respectable at the sportsbook in head-to-head action, covering the spread in three of six dates with the Steelers. Scoring points has not been a problem for the Lions this season, with the squad racking up a league-best 30.6 points per game and 33.7 PPG on home turf. That has generated regular winnings for OVER bettors, who have cashed tickets in six of Detroit’s past seven. However, the Lions remain a betting disappointment at home, where they have covered just twice during a middling 3-2 SU run. The Steelers snapped a three-game road swoon with their victory in Baltimore two weeks ago, and have won outright in four of their past seven December dates as road underdogs.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers’ playoff hopes appeared to have vanished amid a dismal 2-5 run, capped by a punishing 26-7 loss to Buffalo on Thanksgiving Weekend. But with their backs to the wall, the Steelers have rebounded with a pair of character wins over the Ravens and Dolphins, and arrive in Detroit in reasonable health and in control of their own destiny. The Steelers benefited from one of Aaron Rodgers’ best performances of the season in the team’s 28-15 victory over Miami on Monday night Football. Rodgers connected on a season-high 85.2% of pass attempts for 224 yards ang two TDs, and has avoided throwing a pick in four straight contests. Pittsburgh has also enjoyed strong outings from the backfield duo of Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. Warren is reportedly recovered from the illness that limited him last week, and which provided Gainwell a chance to strut his stuff with an 80-yard performance, making him an intriguing +165 bet on the NFL player props to tally 75+ rushing and receiving yards on Sunday.
Detroit Lions
With their playoff fate no longer in their own hands, the Lions will be desperate for a win on Sunday afternoon. Detroit benefits from the fact that one of the two teams they must catch to remain in the hunt, Chicago and Green Bay, are battling each other on Sunday at Soldier Field. This team can help their own cause by maintaining the offensive momentum that has generated 34 points per game over the past four weeks. Jared Goff and Jahmyr Gibbs have provided the spark. Goff is coming off a 338-yard, three-TD performance in last week’s loss to his former Rams teammates while Gibbs has turned in four multi-TD performances in the past eight games. However, slow starts on both sides of the ball have emerged as a key concern, with the Lions surrendering 17 or more points before the half in three of their past four, a deficiency that must be addressed immediately. Expect another high-scoring affair settled by a single score.
PIT
DET